Ibérico ham

Ibérico ham

Here at Brindisa you’ll find a superior selection of Ibérico ham including acorn-fed bellota and cereal-fattened cebo de campo hams. Shop all our finest Ibérian whole ham legs and sliced varieties online.

Origins of Ibérico

Produced from black Iberian pigs, Ibérico ham is the most highly regarded type of Spanish ham. Deeply rooted in Spanish culture, this ham is strictly regulated by Protected Designations of Origin (PDO). According to Spain's PDO rules and current regulations on ham, Jamón Ibérico must be made from pure breed, or cross-bred pigs - as long as they are at least 50% Ibérian in their ancestry. There are three grades of Ibérico ham, categories primarily defined by the diet of the pigs and how long the meat has been cured.

Jamón ibérico de bellota - From 100% pure Ibérico pigs fed on a diet of acorns during the Montanera. These hams are aged for at least three years before being released and often labelled 'reserva' and 'gran reserva' to denote their age.

Jamón ibérico cebo de campo - Free range, but fed only on a diet of cereals.

Jamón ibérico de cebo - Commercially reared pigs fed on a diet of cereals.

When buying a whole Ibérian ham leg, look out for the coloured labels that indicate if the pigs are 100% Ibérian or less. These are categorised as follows:

• Black - 100% Ibérian acorn-fed - “pata negra”
• Red - at least 50% Ibérian acorn-fed
• Green - at least 50% Ibérian cebo de campo
• White - at least 50% Ibérian cebo