ham

have the best Iberian ham

by

He September 6, 1940the BOE published an unusual decree for its time. In the midst of the postwar period, in a Spain that rebuilds what it can, the State decides to protect a town of a thousand souls in the mountains of Salamanca. The official reason: the wishes of “excellent artists, both national and foreign,” who see in The Pool a “faithful guardian of the beauty of his hamlet, which has suggested so many masterpieces.” That day, La Alberca becomes the first municipality in Spain declared a National Historical-Artistic Monument. A precedent that today involves more than 500 urban centers throughout the peninsula. Eighty-five years later, National Geographic noted La Alberca as the most beautiful town in Spain to eat Iberian ham. And the phrase is loaded with gunpowder: what about the five jotas of Jabugo or Aracena, both in the province of Huelva? What happens with the Lolo from Barcelona? What do we do with the denominations of Monesterio or Zabra, on the Extremaduran side? From Guijuelo to Los Pedroches, Spain has plenty of master ham makers. But La Alberca is special. Because more than competing for production, it does so for experience. The pond town. The name comes from Arabic Al-Bereka: “the pond.” The town lives at about 1,000 meters above sea level, in the Las Batuecas-Sierra de Francia Natural Park, 75 kilometers southwest of the capital of Salamanca. The pool has 1,034 inhabitants according to the INE 2025, less than any average secondary school. Although there are now more accommodation places than registered residents. It was not the ham but the architecture that justified the 1940 decree. On a ground floor of granite rock, with the air of a fortress, the adobe and wood walls rise to one or two heights. It is beautiful, because they form a framework that is reminiscent of Mudejar art. There are intact medieval streets, balconies full of flowers and the Plaza Mayor has no war wounds. The best example is found in the church of Our Lady of the Assumption, from the 18th century, design by Manuel de Lara Churriguera. Does the last name sound familiar to you? He was the nephew of the architects responsible for the New Cathedral and the Plaza Mayor of Salamanca capital. The family tree does not lose strength in the branches. The pig that goes on its way. Here, the people bless a pig every June 13 (festival of San Antonio de Padua) and release it through the streets. The animal wears a bell around its neck and the neighbors feed it during those seven months. He January 17Saint Anton’s Day, raffled before the doors of the church. The benefits go to the brotherhood. There is even a granite sculpture in his honor in the square. The origin of this tradition is attributed to the converts of the 16th century, who used the pig as a public demonstration of Christian faith to avoid inquisitorial suspicion. Curious alibi. There is also the tradition of the turroneras, a true institution in the province, with its own statue in the market of Salamanca capital, unofficial announcement of the beginning of Christmas – something more tangible than Abel Caballero’s Vigo lights, if you ask me. First class ham. Although La Alberca does not cure hams on an industrial scale, its showcase is the most representative of Salamancan Iberian ham. The main ham has the Guijuelo Denomination of Originthe oldest and the one with the highest production volume of the four Iberian DOPs in Spain. Guijuelo, at 1,050 meters above sea level and with average temperatures of 12º C until well into spring, has an exceptional microclimate. It is literal: it allows a much longer natural conservation than in the hot southern lands, being able to salt the ham without artificial cold until the month of March. The natural cold does what an industrial snack has to do in other warehouses. By the way, the DOP has a supra-autonomous nature: it covers the pastures of Andalusia, Extremadura, Castilla y León and Castilla-La Mancha for the breeding of the Iberian pig, but the production process is limited to 78 municipalities of Salamanca. La Alberca is among them, in the heart of the Sierra de Francia, which gives its name to one of the regions of the DOP. We talk about more than 200 industries (distributed between Guijuelo, Ledrada, Sotoserrano, Miranda del Castañar, Béjar, Candelario, Frádes de la Sierra or Tamames) and exact requirements: pure Iberian breed cattle or a cross of 75% of Iberian blood with Duroc-Jersey. And the pieces must weigh at least 4.5 kg in the case of ham and 3.5 kg in the case of the shoulder, with an elongated and stylized shape, preserving the original black hoof. And it is estimated that La Alberca hams are exported to fourteen countries in the European Union, with France as the main destination, in addition to the United Kingdom, Korea, Japan and Mexico. The best customer for Salamanca ham is the neighboring country, as we know. Without us it does not exist Bayonne jambon. Beautiful inside and out. Like the pig, the beauty of La Alberca is mixed. It belongs to the network of Most Beautiful Towns in Spain. The Valley of Las Batuecas, accessible from La Alberca, concentrates a Carmelite monastery, cave paintings of the Canchal de las Cabras Pintadas and almost total silence. The route to Hastiala Peak, the highestexceeds 1,700 meters. From the top and on clear days you can see the Picos de Europa. In a few weeks they will celebrate La Loa, the popular sacramental car of medieval origin that mixes popular satire and religion. And in November the Calbochada recovers: roasted chestnuts in the square and a lot of mountain folklore, from which the surname also comes. It is normal that National Geographic has been full of praise. And although this usually brings the usual problem, more beds than inhabitants, it is worth getting to know it and tasting its food, not necessarily … Read more

There are a lot of people replacing the oil on ham toast with coffee and orange. And oddly enough, it makes sense.

by

“You insist on putting olive oil on our Iberian ham toast and this is like putting sugar on top of a chocolate cake.” Víctor Sanchego did not know it, but with those words was about to make thousands of people prepare the strangest breakfast we’ve seen in a long time. How come you don’t have to add oil to the ham? Sanchego’s argument is that “the fat of Iberian ham contains more than 60% oleic acid, the same component of extra virgin olive oil.” Therefore, as happens in a perfumery when we have already worn several colognes, when we mix oil and ham at the same time our taste buds become saturated. “Instead of helping it enhance the flavor, it is subtracting it,” says the ham man. The reality, of course, is more complex. The general idea is true for Iberian ham: adding oil (especially if it is an intense and complex one) blurs the flavor profile and can actually oversaturate the bite. This, however, does not happen with the rest of the hams or with the rest of the oils. It is, so to speak, a borderline case. And a well-known one, at that. The normal thing when we talk about Iberian ham, in fact, is that it is recommended to enjoy it alone or with an accompaniment that cleanses the palate, such as a piece of neutral bread. Nobody usually proposes eating a plate of ham with a glass of EVOO on the side. The striking thing about all this is not that. The striking thing is the coffee with orange zest. Because Víctor Sanchego does not propose to eat ham with white bread, nothing like that. He suggests smearing the bread in a mixture of black coffee and orange peel, toasting it and, now, putting the Iberian ham on top. It’s a strange thing, yes; but we cannot define it as madness either. We said before that the ideal thing is to eat Iberian ham with something that ‘cleanses the palate’ and Sanchego’s idea goes directly there: coffee, due to its dry and intense qualities, allows us to enhance the organoleptic properties of our ham. Is it the most interesting decision? Well, the truth is that I couldn’t say. On a theoretical level, there could be dozens of similar combinations that fit better with our usual organoleptic repertoire; but without a doubt it is bold and many of those who try it (on social networks) They are delighted with the result. And that, without a doubt, is good news. Not because of the ham, not because of the coffee, not because of the orange zest. It’s good news because culinary Talibanism It is a practice that greatly impoverishes our understanding of food. And it limits us for no reason. Being open to ‘playing’ with products as iconic as Iberian ham is a symptom of a gastronomic maturity that, used well, can help us resolve problems in a much simpler way. big problems of the food security of the century. Image | Stephan Coudassot | Nathan Dumlao In Xataka | We’ve been telling ourselves for 100 years that breakfast is the “most important meal of the day.” The problem is that it is not true In Xataka | We’ve gone from “breakfast is the most important meal of the day” to “I grab something quick and stick with it.” And that has problems A version of this theme was published in 2025

There are a lot of people replacing the oil on ham toast with coffee and orange. And oddly enough, it makes sense.

by

“You insist on putting olive oil on our Iberian ham toast and this is like putting sugar on top of a chocolate cake.” Víctor Sanchego did not know it, but with those words was about to make thousands of people prepare the strangest breakfast we’ve seen in a long time. How come you don’t have to add oil to the ham? Sanchego’s argument is that “the fat of Iberian ham contains more than 60% oleic acid, the same component of extra virgin olive oil.” Therefore, as happens in a perfumery when we have already worn several colognes, when we mix oil and ham at the same time our taste buds become saturated. “Instead of helping it enhance the flavor, it is subtracting it,” says the ham man. The reality, of course, is more complex. The general idea is true for Iberian ham: adding oil (especially if it is an intense and complex one) blurs the flavor profile and can actually oversaturate the bite. This, however, does not happen with the rest of the hams or with the rest of the oils. It is, so to speak, a borderline case. And a well-known one, at that. The normal thing when we talk about Iberian ham, in fact, is that it is recommended to enjoy it alone or with an accompaniment that cleanses the palate, such as a piece of neutral bread. Nobody usually proposes eating a plate of ham with a glass of EVOO on the side. The striking thing about all this is not that. The striking thing is the coffee with orange zest. Because Víctor Sanchego does not propose to eat ham with white bread, nothing like that. He suggests smearing the bread in a mixture of black coffee and orange peel, toasting it and, now, putting the Iberian ham on top. It’s a strange thing, yes; but we cannot define it as madness either. We said before that the ideal thing is to eat Iberian ham with something that ‘cleanses the palate’ and Sanchego’s idea goes directly there: coffee, due to its dry and intense qualities, allows us to enhance the organoleptic properties of our ham. Is it the most interesting decision? Well, the truth is that I couldn’t say. On a theoretical level, there could be dozens of similar combinations that fit better with our usual organoleptic repertoire; but without a doubt it is bold and many of those who try it (on social networks) They are delighted with the result. And that, without a doubt, is good news. Not because of the ham, not because of the coffee, not because of the orange zest. It’s good news because culinary Talibanism It is a practice that greatly impoverishes our understanding of food. And it limits us for no reason. Being open to ‘playing’ with products as iconic as Iberian ham is a symptom of a gastronomic maturity that, used well, can help us resolve problems in a much simpler way. big problems of the food security of the century. Image | Stephan Coudassot | Nathan Dumlao In Xataka | We’ve been telling ourselves for 100 years that breakfast is the “most important meal of the day.” The problem is that it is not true In Xataka | We’ve gone from “breakfast is the most important meal of the day” to “I grab something quick and stick with it.” And that has problems A version of this theme was published in 2025

There are a lot of people replacing the oil on ham toast with coffee and orange. And oddly enough, it makes sense.

by

“You insist on putting olive oil on our Iberian ham toast and this is like putting sugar on top of a chocolate cake.” Víctor Sanchego did not know it, but with those words was about to make thousands of people prepare the strangest breakfast we’ve seen in a long time. How come you don’t have to add oil to the ham? Sanchego’s argument is that “the fat of Iberian ham contains more than 60% oleic acid, the same component of extra virgin olive oil.” Therefore, as happens in a perfumery when we have already worn several colognes, when we mix oil and ham at the same time our taste buds become saturated. “Instead of helping it enhance the flavor, it is subtracting it,” says the ham man. The reality, of course, is more complex. The general idea is true for Iberian ham: adding oil (especially if it is an intense and complex one) blurs the flavor profile and can actually oversaturate the bite. This, however, does not happen with the rest of the hams or with the rest of the oils. It is, so to speak, a borderline case. And a well-known one, at that. The normal thing when we talk about Iberian ham, in fact, is that it is recommended to enjoy it alone or with an accompaniment that cleanses the palate, such as a piece of neutral bread. Nobody usually proposes eating a plate of ham with a glass of EVOO on the side. The striking thing about all this is not that. The striking thing is the coffee with orange zest. Because Víctor Sanchego does not propose to eat ham with white bread, nothing like that. He suggests smearing the bread in a mixture of black coffee and orange peel, toasting it and, now, putting the Iberian ham on top. It’s a strange thing, yes; but we cannot define it as madness either. We said before that the ideal thing is to eat Iberian ham with something that ‘cleanses the palate’ and Sanchego’s idea goes directly there: coffee, due to its dry and intense qualities, allows us to enhance the organoleptic properties of our ham. Is it the most interesting decision? Well, the truth is that I couldn’t say. On a theoretical level, there could be dozens of similar combinations that fit better with our usual organoleptic repertoire; but without a doubt it is bold and many of those who try it (on social networks) They are delighted with the result. And that, without a doubt, is good news. Not because of the ham, not because of the coffee, not because of the orange zest. It’s good news because culinary Talibanism It is a practice that greatly impoverishes our understanding of food. And it limits us for no reason. Being open to ‘playing’ with products as iconic as Iberian ham is a symptom of a gastronomic maturity that, used well, can help us resolve problems in a much simpler way. big problems of the food security of the century. Image | Stephan Coudassot | Nathan Dumlao In Xataka | Why salads are the biggest source of food poisoning and what to do to avoid it

Iberian ham has been synonymous with the highest quality for decades. Now Guijuelo wants to blow him up

by

“Race is not a parameter of quality.” With that simple idea, the Salamanca town of Guijuelo wants to open a gap in one of the flagships of our country’s gastronomy: ‘low cost’ Iberian ham. With the endorsement of the Ministry of Agriculture and the opposition of the rest of the denominations of origin (which call it “deception of the consumer”), Guijuelo’s movement has just unleash a whole Civil War in the ham sector. And it’s no wonder. What has happened? That the Protected Designation of Origin (DOP) of Guijuelo (Salamanca) approved a modification of its regulations to certify, as Iberian, “hams and pork shoulders that are 50% Iberian breed and 50% Duroc”. Until now this was something that could only be done with 75% or 100% Iberian hams. On September 1, the General Directorate of Food He has limited himself to saying that the change is legal and various communities they have supported him (although others, as we will see, have opposed it). After all, The Iberian Quality Standard (RD 4/2014) covers legally this movement; as long as it is well labeled. If this had been done by a small DOP, it would have been controversial; but it surely would not have unleashed the enormous earthquake that it has unleashed. However, Guijuelo has done it: the oldest denomination and the largest in number of marked pieces. The rest of the DOPs have come out in a rush. Let us remember that there are only four DOPs of Iberian ham in the country. Well, the other three (Jabugo, Dehesa de Extremadura and Andalucía) have denounced the change because they consider it “unfair competition” and what is worse, a “trivialization” of the DOP seal and the Iberian in general. In recent days, regulatory councils, communities (especially Extremadura and Andalusia) and professional groups have announced appeals and do not rule out going to trial if Agriculture does not take action on the matter. But if it’s legal, what’s the problem? In slightly more technical terms, the conflict is not whether a “50% Iberian” ham can exist; but whether that type of ham should carry the DOP seal. We must not forget that these seals are designed to ‘make visible’ in the market a special relationship with the territory and the product. The rest of the Regulatory Councils that want to maintain stricter racial criteria (as has been customary) believe that there is a reputational risk and that it could end up confusing the consumer. And the issue of price, of course. Guijuelo is accused of wanting to burst the market by lowering prices and moving production towards less demanding specifications. The DOPs fear that the seal and label will harm livestock farmers and dryers who have been betting on higher quality standards. In fact, as reported from the Pedroches valley, the regulatory change in Guijuelo “facilitates more intensive productions (a jump in densities per hectare in “field bait” is cited within the specifications), which threatens the pasture and the sustainability story associated with traditional Iberian. And from Jabugo they assure that “Brussels said that can’t be done.” What do they say in Guijuelo? From the PDO of Salamanca, in addition to describe many of these statements as “barbarities”focus on defending that a) the movement is legal and b) that “race is not a quality parameter, food is.” And now what? The question is whether the changes to Guijuelo’s regulatory document are indeed “normal” or require the approval of Brussels. And the most likely thing, if the regulatory councils decide to go ahead, is that it will reach Brussels. Or at least Image | Tim Sackton In Xataka | A tax on ham? There are those who already propose it as the best way to eat less meat

Log In

Forgot password?

Forgot password?

Enter your account data and we will send you a link to reset your password.

Your password reset link appears to be invalid or expired.

Log in

Privacy Policy

Add to Collection

No Collections

Here you'll find all collections you've created before.