All Jamón / Hams

Enjoy the best Spanish ham (jamón) and shoulder ham (paleta) available for online shopping in our gourmet shop for Ireland. We offer 100% Iberico hams and shoulders of Bellota (acorn-fed), Pata Negra, Gran Reserva, Cebo de Campo, Cebo, and Gran Reserva Selección. Whole, boneless, sliced ​​and whole sliced ​​Iberian and Serrano hams and shoulders from the regions of Guijuelo (Salamanca), Jabugo (Huelva), Los Pedroches (Cordoba), Dehesa de Extremadura, Teruel (Jamón de Teruel), Serón (Jamón de Serón), Trevélez (Jamón de Trevélez), and Jamón Consocio Serrano.  Many of them with Appellation of Origin seal of quality credentials, such as DOP (Denomination of Origin), IGP (Protected Geographical Indication), or ETG (Traditional Speciality Guaranteed).

Our offering includes most of the premium and exclusive Spanish jamón brands such as Cinco Jotas (5J), Joselito, Blázquez, Sánchez Romero Carvajal, COVAP, Extrem, Sánchez Alcaraz, Altanza Jabugo, Jamones de Serón, Boadas 1880, Aljomar, Aire Sano, Mayoral (La Pirenaica), Dehesa Barón de Ley, ARBU, Ibérico Sierra Azuaga, El Charro, Jamones Vallejo, Señorío de Los Pedroches, Cortijo de Canata, Milena, Alfonso Sáez, Raíces, Antonio Álvarez, Castellar, Corte Noble, Noel, España e Hijos, Iglesias and Don Paulino hams and shoulders offered at the best price possible and of the highest quality. All our products have long curing periods and are carefully selected to provide you with the best value and satisfaction. Ham products that you will truly enjoy.

The three factors that determine the final quality of a ham or shoulder ham are:

• The breed of pig they come from.
• The feeding and rearing of the pig.
• The curing process of the ham.

Depending on the breed, there are two different types of ham:

1. Ibérico hams, from Iberian breed pigs, in their different degrees of purity.
2. White hams (Serrano) or cured hams, from white pigs (Duroc, Landrace, Large White, or Pietrain breeds).

Types of Ibérico hams

In order to know the types of Ibérico ham that we can find on the market, we must understand the meaning of the concepts that appear on the sales denomination (label) and the colours of their corresponding seals.

The quality of an Ibérico ham is mainly defined by the feed that the pig from which it is obtained has received and its racial purity. To this must be added an adequate curing process in time and form, preferably in natural drying sheds.

Types of Ibérico ham (jamón or paleta) ordered by quality, being black label (pata negra) the highest.

Black label: Intended for 100% Ibérico acorn-fed hams.

Red label: For Ibérico acorn-fed hams with 50 or 75% Ibérico breed purity.

Green label: For Ibérico field fattened hams with a percentage of Ibérico breed of 50, 75 or 100%.

White label: For Ibérico farm-fed hams with percentages of Ibérico breed of 50, 75 or 100%.

Types of Serrano hams (white pig)

The first thing to say is that white hams or white hams are hams that normally come from pigs of breeds such as: Duroc, Pietrain, Landrace or Large White. They are usually fed on farms in an intensive regime based on feed and cereals.

The best known is the Serrano Ham. Be careful because not all white hams are Serrano hams, although we often refer to them as such. The term Serrano Ham corresponds to an ETG (which stands for “Traditional Speciality Guaranteed” in English).

According to Spanish law Royal Decree 474/2014, of 13 June 2014, which approves the quality standard for meat derivatives, the following mentions may also be included for hams and shoulders, provided that they comply with the minimum production period established for each mention:

• Bodega or Cava: 9 months of curing.
• Reserva or Añejo: 12 months of maturing.
• Gran Reserva: 15 months of curing.

In addition to this type of white hams, we can also find those protected by the Protected Designation of Origin (D.O.P.)  Jamón de Teruel, or those of the Protected Geographical Indication (I.G.P) of Trevélez or the IGP of Serón.

If you would like to read more detailed information on the different qualities of Spanish hams, please visit our post on this subject on our blog: Different Types of Quality of Spanish Hams