A History and Geography of Spanish Ham

An Animal with Centuries of History and a Wide Family Tree

Various studies show that suids, the family from which pigs and boars are descended, existed in Eurasia around 25–40 million years ago. From there, they spread to other areas.

Celtic pigs settled in the north of the Iberian Peninsula, and it is from them that the pigs native to the Cantabrian coast are descended. The Iberian pig evolved as a result of interacting with Mediterranean forest ecosystems, and mixing with other breeds.

The Acorn: Celebrated Since the Time of Muslim Spain

According to the Valle de Los Pedroches Designation of Origin, there are accounts dating from the 10th century praising the virtues of acorns, which are typical of the "dehesa" pastures of this region in the northwest of the province of Cordoba.

As these texts by Ahmad ar Razi testify, referring to Los Pedroches as "Fahs al Ballut" or Plain of the Acorns: "In this land there are no other kinds of trees but oaks. That is why they call it the Plain of the Acorns, and they are the sweetest in all of Spain."

"Dehesa" Pastures: A Man-Made Ecosystem

Around 200 years ago, large areas of scrubland were cleared for farming and cultivation. This led to the development of "dehesa" pastures in the west of the Iberian Peninsula, extending from Salamanca and Zamora to Andalusia.

"Dehesas" contain pasture, farmland, trees, and a variety of flora. They are home to wild and domestic animals such as cows, sheep, pigs, deer, and wild boar, while the skies above them are filled with a wide variety of birds, including storks.

In the second half of the 19th century, the pork industry began to flourish in the area of Guijuelo in Salamanca, throughout nearly all of Andalusia, and in Extremadura, and is still going strong today.

Iberian pork—especially bacon—was traditionally eaten by farmworkers, and pigs were slaughtered in almost every house in the country. However, legs of ham were not considered a great delicacy compared with the rest of the pig because of their relatively small size.

For this reason, when Spain's economy had stabilized in the second half of the 20th century, and ham was in demand by the restaurant industry and individuals, Iberian pigs began to be crossbred with older breeds, particularly Duroc-Jerseys.

This produced pigs that were ready sooner, and legs of ham that were bigger than those of purebred Iberian pigs.

As a result, pigs are now classified as 100%, 75%, or 50% Iberian.

They are:

- Guijuelo Designation of Origin, whose production area is centered in the southeast of the province of Salamanca. The town of Guijuelo is the most important in terms of its history and number of drying rooms.

- Dehesa de Extremadura Designation of Origin, whose production and processing areas are centered around the provinces of Caceres and Badajoz.

- Jabugo Designation of Origin, whose production area spans 31 villages in the Sierra de Aracena and Picos de Aroche Natural Park in Huelva. Among the best-known are Aracena, Cortegana, and Jabugo.

- Los Pedroches Designation of Origin, whose production and processing areas center around 32 towns and villages in the Valley of Los Pedroches in Cordoba.