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Althоugh wе gеnеrаllу speak about Iberico ham, there аrе thrее tуреѕ of thіѕ еxсluѕіvе рrоduсt: Aсоrn Iberico ham (Jаmón Ibérісо dе Bellota), Rесеbо Ibеrісо Ham (Jamón Ibérico dе Rесеbо) аnd Cеbо Iberico ham (Jаmón Ibérісо dе Cebo). Thеѕе lаbеlѕ еxрrеѕѕ different levels оf quality, аnd thе Aсоrn оnе is thе bеѕt of them. However, thе Recebo аnd Cеbо оnеѕ аlѕо реrfоrm a very high tаѕtе.
I don't get it man for me all of this ham taste good and please someone help me to know more about it!!!...

Acorn Iberico Ham, the top quality of Spain

The thing that gives Acorn Iberico Ham the top quality is not only the fact that it comes from black pigs, but that they live, grow up and get fed wildly in the open courtyard. They rear in the dehesas, which are particular meadows located in western and south-western Spain, and they eat grass and natural fodder.

And when they have to get fat during a couple of months in winter, they eat lots of acorn. That’s why they are called like this. When they get the appropriate weight, they get sacrificed. We can say that this is the most traditional way to produce Spanish ham.

Recebo and Cebo de Campo Iberico ham, a mixed process

Even if Recebo Iberico ham is a really high quality product, there is a small difference between it and the Acorn one. In this case, the black pigs also live, grow up and ged fed wildly in dehesas based on natural grass and fodder, and then gain weight with acorn. But when the process should finish with the sacrifice, these pigs haven’t got the appropriate weight to do it.

In that moment, the black pigs receive an extra feeding, based on special fodder, in order to get fatter. That’s why we can consider this process as a mix between the Acorn hams and the Cebo hams.

In Cebo de Campo Iberico ham, the black pig is fed with fodder but they live in dehesas. However, those pigs never eat acorn.

Cebo Iberico ham, a modern way to produce high quality hams

And finally, the third type of Iberico ham is the Cebo one, which introduces some modern ways to produce this ham. The ‘raw material’ is the same, I mean, the black pig. But instead of living and growing up wildly, they do so in a feedlot.

Besides, these black pigs never try acorns, but they get fed by fodder. So we can say that this is not the traditional way of producing Spanish hams: it uses modern and industrial processes to get good quality hams.

Then, take this information into account when you buy your Iberico ham: the price not only indicates the level of quality, but also the traditional or non-traditional way of producing the ham.

And now, tell us your experience: have you ever tried a Spanish ham? How it was? Would you recommend this kind of product to your friends?

It is, quite simply, the best ham there is. They are many qualities in Spanish Ham, but all the experts agreed that Ibérico de Bellota, sometimes called pata negra, is the most refined Ham.

Differences between Pure Iberico Ham and Just Iberico Ham

In order to preserve Spanish Landrace black pigs and promote their products in national and international markets, the labels of Iberico ham have been renamed. Now, we have to distinguish between Pure Iberico and just Iberico, without the adjective ‘Pure’. But this issue has generated some confusion about these products. In this article, we try to explain it to you.

The former Spanish Government changed in 2007 the rules that are related to ham production. After that, they varied some names, such as ‘Cebo de Campo’ to refer to pigs that have been fed both in wild countryside and farms. But the most important change is the specification of ‘Pure’ in certain products. Let’s see.

Pure Iberico ham: top quality and Landrace breed

When a ham is classified as ‘Pure Iberico’ (‘Ibérico Puro’), it means that the pig which the ham comes from is 100% black pig. As we said, the black pig is a landrace breed of Spain, whose main feature is its black color. Spanish institutions are trying to preserve it by all means, as it is a treasure and a symbol of local quality.

Clearly, ‘Pure Iberico’ represents the best quality in hams, paletas and other Iberico products. Its meat has a particular taste, smell and look. Its touch is smoother, its taste is less salty and more prolonged and its colour is more intense. Besides, it has even best properties for your health, such as the so-called ‘glasses of thyroxine’, which are white dots present in the meat. The natural infiltrations of fat are also a distinctive feature of this kind of hams.



Just Iberico ham: a good but mixed breed

If you find a label with the name ‘Iberico’, without the adjective ‘Pure’, it means that the pig which the ham comes from is a mixed pig: its ancestry comes mostly from black pigs, but they have been mixed in certain moment with Duroc pigs. Anyway, only the pigs that have at least a 50% of the black pig breed can be named ‘Iberico’.

Duroc breed is a variety of pig that comes from America. They are red coloured, although their tone can vary among them. Their origins are in fact related to black pigs: Duroc pigs are the result of mixing Old Duroc and Red Jersey pigs, coming from New Jersey and New York. But those breeds in turn had complex origins, and old black pigs are probably present in their ancestry, as Spanish emigrants and settlers could take them to America.

It doesn’t mean that a just ‘Iberico’ ham is bad. It only means that it is not the absolutely top quality. They follow the same steps in the traditional manufacturing process, their Acorn Iberico hams come from pigs raised in the wild countryside (dehesas), they have been fatten with acorns… But they just don’t have the supreme properties that are distinctive in ‘Pure Iberico’, although it is an extraordinary product.

Anyway, the Spanish porcine industry is not absolutely happy with these new names, so it cannot be ruled out that in the next months or years the current Government changes them again, adding other labels or unifying some others to refer to Iberico ham.

Description: It is important not to be confused with Pure Iberico ham and just Iberico ham. These are the differences that you have to know before buying your product.

Quite confusing right but I put some idea and tips so we can traces the differences between the two.

there is a small difference between it and the Acorn one. In this case, the black pigs also live, grow up and ged fed wildly in dehesas based on natural grass and fodder, and then gain weight with acorn. But when the process should finish with the sacrifice, these pigs haven’t got the appropriate weight to do it.

The former Spanish Government changed in 2007 the rules that are related to ham production. After that, they varied some names, such as ‘Cebo de Campo’ to refer to pigs that have been fed both in wild countryside and farms. But the most important change is the specification of ‘Pure’ in certain products. Let’s see.....

They follow the same steps in the traditional manufacturing process, their Acorn Iberico hams come from pigs raised in the wild countryside (dehesas), they have been fatten with acorns… But they just don’t have the supreme properties that are distinctive in ‘Pure Iberico’, although it is an extraordinary product.