Why is good ham so expensive?
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Gourmet food is undoubtedly among one of the many pleasures in life, and if we consider all of the delicacies from around the world that we could afford, why not include a good Iberian ham from Spain?
The cost of one of these high-quality pieces can easily exceed thousands of euros. But why is the price tag so high? And then there's the question, is it really worth it?
Food photography created by Topntp26 - Freepik.com
Let's start by talking about what it means to raise pigs and the lifestyle of the people who do this job, because it takes a lot of passion and time to breed these animals and a long wait before the investment is recovered, as the pigs can only begin to be slaughtered, dismembered and then cured at least one year after they have finished growing.
Once in the production plant, the animal is cut into several pieces, and the next day the legs undergo the salting process in a room with a set temperature and humidity, which is critical to the quality of the final product and will affect its sale.
Later on, the ham changes rooms and temperature until it reaches the cellars, where it must spend approximately four years before it is then put on the market.
Around 5,000 hams are produced annually, but only the best will be sold for thousands of euros, which come from pigs that are of a purer breed.
In fact, in terms of quality, a large percentage of the ham production could be sold at higher prices, but since it's no longer viable in the current economy, a more exhaustive selection must be made.
Food photography created by Bearfotos - Freepik.com
If we delve further into the issue of breeds, for many of us the image of a black hoof comes to mind when we talk about a good ham, those pigs that are fattened mainly with acorns.
To our surprise, the fact that a ham has a black hoof is not synonymous with being the best, because the most expensive ham in the world, which is also of the highest quality and most exclusive, is a white label ham: the famous Manchado de Jabugo. This pig is one of the six lines in the variety of the Iberian pig and is the result of crossing a British white pig with a sow from Huelva.
Breeding Manchado de Jabugo pigs is very complex: the sows give birth infrequently, their breeding lasts for 36 months instead of 14, and it requires a whole lot of space. The slow breeding of these pigs, their lower productivity compared to other breeds, and the ravages of swine fever, have led them to be in danger of extinction.
Their limited production has contributed to the rise in price and has catapulted this ham to its position as one of the most expensive in the world. However, some companies offer this type of ham at more moderate prices.
And what about the "black hoof" products? There are several breeds of Iberian origin, the most common of which are the Lampiña and the Entrepelada, which are black; others such as the aforementioned Manchada de Jabugo, the Tobsical, the Campiñesa Rubia and the Retinta are of a more reddish skin tone.
In all cases, the skin tone also refers to the colour of the hoof, and what we really want to make clear is that not all Iberian pigs have black hoofs. Additionally, other breeds of non-Iberian pigs are black, so colour is not always a guarantee of quality or of being pure bred.
At the end of the day, the pleasure of buying a ham for thousands of euros can only be experienced by a minority, the same goes for good liquor, clothes by a famous designer or a brand new car; but there are great alternatives in the market at a lower cost, making it easier for us to try a good Iberian ham without it digging too deep of a hole in our wallets.
The cost of one of these high-quality pieces can easily exceed thousands of euros. But why is the price tag so high? And then there's the question, is it really worth it?
Food photography created by Topntp26 - Freepik.com
Let's start by talking about what it means to raise pigs and the lifestyle of the people who do this job, because it takes a lot of passion and time to breed these animals and a long wait before the investment is recovered, as the pigs can only begin to be slaughtered, dismembered and then cured at least one year after they have finished growing.
Once in the production plant, the animal is cut into several pieces, and the next day the legs undergo the salting process in a room with a set temperature and humidity, which is critical to the quality of the final product and will affect its sale.
Later on, the ham changes rooms and temperature until it reaches the cellars, where it must spend approximately four years before it is then put on the market.
Around 5,000 hams are produced annually, but only the best will be sold for thousands of euros, which come from pigs that are of a purer breed.
In fact, in terms of quality, a large percentage of the ham production could be sold at higher prices, but since it's no longer viable in the current economy, a more exhaustive selection must be made.
Food photography created by Bearfotos - Freepik.com
If we delve further into the issue of breeds, for many of us the image of a black hoof comes to mind when we talk about a good ham, those pigs that are fattened mainly with acorns.
To our surprise, the fact that a ham has a black hoof is not synonymous with being the best, because the most expensive ham in the world, which is also of the highest quality and most exclusive, is a white label ham: the famous Manchado de Jabugo. This pig is one of the six lines in the variety of the Iberian pig and is the result of crossing a British white pig with a sow from Huelva.
Breeding Manchado de Jabugo pigs is very complex: the sows give birth infrequently, their breeding lasts for 36 months instead of 14, and it requires a whole lot of space. The slow breeding of these pigs, their lower productivity compared to other breeds, and the ravages of swine fever, have led them to be in danger of extinction.
Their limited production has contributed to the rise in price and has catapulted this ham to its position as one of the most expensive in the world. However, some companies offer this type of ham at more moderate prices.
And what about the "black hoof" products? There are several breeds of Iberian origin, the most common of which are the Lampiña and the Entrepelada, which are black; others such as the aforementioned Manchada de Jabugo, the Tobsical, the Campiñesa Rubia and the Retinta are of a more reddish skin tone.
In all cases, the skin tone also refers to the colour of the hoof, and what we really want to make clear is that not all Iberian pigs have black hoofs. Additionally, other breeds of non-Iberian pigs are black, so colour is not always a guarantee of quality or of being pure bred.
At the end of the day, the pleasure of buying a ham for thousands of euros can only be experienced by a minority, the same goes for good liquor, clothes by a famous designer or a brand new car; but there are great alternatives in the market at a lower cost, making it easier for us to try a good Iberian ham without it digging too deep of a hole in our wallets.
Todo sobre el jamón
Contenido
- 1 Tipos de jamón ibérico
- 2 Cómo consumir jamón ibérico
- 3 Cortar jamón ibérico
- 4 Cómo conservar el jamón ibérico
- 5 Maridaje del jamón ibérico
- 6 Ley de calidad del jamón ibérico
- 7 La Dehesa
- 8 Denominaciones de origen del jamón ibérico
- 9 Propiedades nutricionales del jamón ibérico de bellota
- 10 Recetas con jamón
- 11 Diferencias entre jamón ibérico y jamón serrano
- 12 Diferencias entre paletilla y jamón ibérico
- 13 Diferencias entre jamón ibérico y jamón serrano
- 14 Jamón ibérico y sus competidores en el mundo
- 15 Propiedades nutricionales del jamón ibérico
- 16 Denominación de origen del jamón ibérico
- 17 Zonas de elaboración del jamón y del jamón pata negra
- 18 Jamón cortado a mano o a máquina
- 19 Museos del jamón ibérico en el mundo
- 20 Cata de jamón ibérico: todos los secretos
- 21 Ruta del jamón ibérico
- 22 El jamón ibérico de bellota y su maridaje ideal
- 23 Proceso de elaboración de los embutidos ibéricos
- 24 Historia de los embutidos ibéricos
- 25 IVA para el jamón: preguntas y respuestas
- 26 El jamón en la literatura
- 27 Curiosidades del jamón ibérico
- 28 Cómo conservar el jamón serrano
- 29 Normativa de calidad del jamón serrano
- 30 Elaboración del jamón serrano
- 31 Denominaciones de origen del jamón serrano
- 32 Propiedades nutricionales del jamón serrano
- 33 Recetas con jamón serrano
- 34 Tipos de jamón serrano
- 35 Maridaje del jamón serrano
- 36 Cómo consumir jamón serrano
- 37 Cortar jamón serrano
- 38 Todos los secretos sobre la cata de jamón pata negra
- 39 Cómo elegir un buen soporte jamonero
- 40 Cuál es el mejor jamón pata negra?
- 41 Es correcto el término jamón pata negra?
- 42 Jamón pata negra y dehesa
- 43 Los secretos del maridaje del jamón pata negra
- 44 ¿Cómo saber qué jamón comprar?
- 45 ¿Por qué el buen jamón es tan caro?
- 46 ¿Cómo comprar jamón en tiendas online?
- 47 Mitos y realidades, beneficios y prejuicios del jamón
- 48 ¿El jamón ibérico engorda?
- 49 ¿Qué hacemos con el hueso del jamón?
- 50 ¿Por qué solemos colgar el jamón?
- 51 Jamón y embarazo: ¿Se puede incluir el jamón ibérico en la dieta de las embarazadas?
- 52 El rol del jamón en el crecimiento y desarrollo de los niños
- 53 Consejos para conservar el jamón
- 54 ¿Qué es el perfilado del jamón y por qué se hace?
- 55 Nuevas tecnologías y jamón - Resonancia magnética en la cata del jamón - Imágenes espectrales
- 56 El cerdo ibérico comienza a emigrar
- 57 Embutidos: Origen, composición y clasificación
- 58 Elaboración de jamones y paletas
- 59 Guía de Cata del Jamón Ibérico
- 60 Elementos diferenciales de calidad en jamón y embutidos “ibéricos”
- 61 El mapa del jamón en España
- 62 Propiedades de la grasa del jamón ibérico
- 63 Cómo transportar jamón ibérico y otros alimentos en vuelos internacionales
- 64 Prevalencia de patógenos y beneficios de los ácidos orgánicos en la producción de cerdos
Disfruta del mejor Jamón Ibérico y Serrano
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