Availability
The majority of Serrano hams are made
from the landrace breed of white pig and
are not to be confused with the much more
expensive and entirely different jamón
ibérico. These hams were known as a
delicacy even in the days of the Roman
Empire. Though not expensive in Spain
and the European Union, duties imposed
on imported meats and exchange rates
makes these hams more costly outside the
EU. Where available, the meat can usually
be purchased sliced, in chunks, or as a complete, bone-in ham.

Other hams
There are many producers of Spanish hams but the level of quality can be judged by
the following elements:


The type of pig



The way the pig has been fed



The part of the pig used to make the ham



The way the ham is cured

The four major quality categories of cured ham are as follows, from highest to lowest
quality:


Jamón ibérico de bellota: Free-range, acorn-fed Iberian pigs



Jamón ibérico de recebo: Acorn, pasture and compound-fed Iberian pigs



Jamón ibérico de campo (sometimes just jamón ibérico in short and also known
as jamón de pata negra): Compound-fed Iberian pigs. Pata negra (literally black
hoof), which only accounts for about five percent of total ham production, is
made from the Black Iberian pig (cerdo ibérico). The best varieties of pata
negra are range fed and fattened on acorns in cork oak groves along the
southern border between Spain and Portugal. (See the two sub-categories
above)



Jamón serrano (also known as jamón reserva, jamón curado and jamón extra):
Compound-fed white pigs.

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