Israel Romero / Wednesday, February 1, 2023 / Categories: Blog Iberian specialties and Black-Label acorn‑fed ham: there's nothing better. Black label We know that Spanish ham is the most sought-after Spanish gourmet product. But not all hams are the same, and the different labeling categories will help you know the varying qualities. At Made in Spain Gourmet, we only choose the Best, the 100% Iberian breed. The “black label”. Iberian ham, our most prized treasure Quality categories of the Spanish pig Did you know there are two main criteria for classifying Iberian hams? Iberian Ham with Protected Designation of Origin Dehesa de Extremadura Guijuelo Protected Designation of Origin Ham Iberian Ham with Protected Designation of Origin Jabugo Los Pedroches Protected Designation of Origin Ham Quality categories of the Spanish pig Our recommendations Iberian ham, our most prized treasure The experience we have gathered with international communities over the last 15 years tells us that if a Spanish gastronomic product is venerated and placed at the top of the pantheon, it is ham. We haven't found anyone who doesn't like it; it is appreciated at any time of the day. I remember that at our gastronomic events, one of the most crowded places was where the ham and the slicer were, who worked without hurry but without pause, skillfully and lovingly slicing it, slice by slice, making everyone's mouth water. However, to detect whether a ham was high quality, people followed a rather unprofessional protocol to determine it: “That ham is the good stuff” — just like that. Humbly, we didn't believe that was the best way to qualify it, so from the very beginning we decided to choose only the top category, the one that could represent the best of our gastronomy, and that was the 100% Iberian breed ham or black label. And if we were going to sell it in our online gourmet store, our responsibility was to inform about the differences with the other categories and how to recognize a true pure acorn-fed ham. Quality categories of the Spanish pig Anyone into Iberian products should know the Quality Standard that requires all Iberian hams to carry one of the 4 identifying tags. Let’s see how they are classified: Black Label – 100% Iberian Acorn-fed Ham Of black color, this tag identifies the 100% Iberian Acorn-fed Ham and guarantees that the mother and the father of the pig are 100% Iberian breed registered in the Herd Book and that the animal during its fattening stage was fed on acorns and other natural resources of the dehesa. Red Label – Iberian Acorn-fed Ham Of red color, like the passion you feel for its flavor. That is the tag of the Iberian Acorn-fed Ham, from animals that are 75% or 50% Iberian breed, fed during their fattening stage with acorns and other natural resources of the dehesa. Green Label – Iberian Pasture-raised Ham (Cebo de Campo) Of green color, like the fields where they are raised. That is the tag that identifies the Iberian Pasture-raised Ham (Cebo de Campo), from animals that are 100%, 75% or 50% Iberian breed, fed on natural pastures and feed in the countryside. White Label – Iberian Feed-fattened Ham (Cebo) Of white color, like the marbling that runs through the meat of Iberian ham. That is the tag that identifies the Iberian Feed-fattened Ham (Cebo), from animals of 100%, 75% or 50% Iberian breed, fed on compound feeds, cereals and legumes in farms. The Protected Designations of Origin have their own tags. They match the color but indicate the name or logo of the PDO. Did you know there are two main criteria for classifying Iberian hams? Classification by feeding The type of FEEDING the animal receives throughout its life is one of them. Therefore, depending on the diet, we can find 3 types of Iberian ham: Acorn-fed (BELLOTA) Iberian Ham, Pasture-raised (CEBO DE CAMPO) Iberian Ham, and Feed-fattened (CEBO) Iberian Ham. Classification by breed In addition to feeding, the other main classification criterion for Iberian hams is BREED. Depending on the crossbreeding, the resulting animal can be 50%, 75% or 100% Iberian. Iberian ham, that jewel of our gastronomy, which is always in search of excellence in its production, can be found in very specific geographic areas: four Protected Designations of Origin for Iberian Ham (PDO) that seek to regulate and certify that quality. In Spain there are 4 Protected Designations of Origin for Iberian ham: PDO Dehesa de Extremadura PDO Jabugo PDO Guijuelo PDO Los Pedroches. Iberian Ham with Protected Designation of Origin Dehesa de Extremadura The holm oak and cork oak forests are the crown jewels in Extremadura, spread over more than 1 million hectares of pure Extremaduran dehesa. This natural paradise produces the fruit that makes achieving the highest quality in Iberian products possible: the acorn. The old and spectacular holm oaks allow the animals to live in calm and absolute freedom, and facilitate the production of the highest category Iberian products. The PDO Dehesa de Extremadura was officially registered in 1990. It is the most rigorous Denomination of Origin in Spain, and only what reaches the highest level of excellence becomes certified. Genetics play a fundamental role, since the 100% Iberian breed fattens more slowly. This leads to an increase in quality in the final result, thanks to the internal transformation of the fatty acids provided by the acorn and the antioxidants provided by the grass. These characteristics create perfect conditions to produce the most exclusive gourmet product. Guijuelo Protected Designation of Origin Ham The PDO of Guijuelo was established in 1984 in the municipality that gives it its name; it is the oldest of the Spanish Iberian Ham Denominations of Origin. The main characteristic of this PDO is its special climatic condition, since its dehesas are at very high altitudes, producing a style of Iberian ham with a different marbling. They require a longer drying time. Due to this climate, its flavor is characterized as milder than others, with a reddish color and a large number of pearly white fat streaks already infiltrated into the tissue. Its products are excellent and very juicy. Iberian Ham with Protected Designation of Origin Jabugo This Denomination of Origin is located in the interior mountain range of Huelva. It was officially registered in 1998 with the aim of protecting and certifying the quality and origin of the Iberian hams from the area around the Sierra de Aracena and Picos de Aroche Natural Park. Because both spring and summer can have high temperatures there, these allow a high flowering of grasses in the Huelva dehesas, offering great biodiversity for the grazing of the Iberian pigs. Winter has a large impact on the final product, because the mild climate prevents the fat from solidifying excessively and allows it to infiltrate more easily into the muscles during the curing stage of the Iberian ham. The pigs’ feeding during the fattening phase is carried out exclusively with acorns and natural pastures. The curing of the ham is done very slowly, always under the unique microclimatic conditions offered by this environment, resulting in an excellent product. Los Pedroches Protected Designation of Origin Ham The name of this PDO comes from the oldest town in the region, “Los Pedroches.” Of the four Denominations of Origin it is the most recently officially recognized, as approval took place in 2006. The climatic conditions are very similar to those of the Jabugo PDO. The beauty and great variety of roots and grasses of the Córdoba dehesa is the perfect ecosystem for the care and breeding of the Iberian pig. The color and appearance of its 100% acorn-fed Iberian hams stand out for being pinkish; they have a very pleasant aroma and on the palate you can appreciate fruity, toasted notes and hints of nuts. As with the other Denominations of Origin, the products made under this certification are extraordinary. [caption id="attachment_24108" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Iberian products and black-label acorn-fed ham: there's nothing better[/caption] Quality categories of the Spanish pig Well then, in the four Protected Designations of Origin there are products from all 4 labels, but at Made in Spain Gourmet, we have chosen only one, the one that offers the highest quality and the true differentiation: the black label, which determines that the pig is 100% Iberian breed and its feeding is based on acorns and the other resources found in the dehesa such as grasses and pasture. Simply the best product from the best cuisine in the world. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/embed/TRko682XnH0[/embed] Our recommendations Majada Pedroche Maldonado Enrique Tomas Arbequina vs. Picual EVOO: Their Differences Are Spanish products and brands really well known? 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