con ganas de comer Jamón..

After being in the states over Christmas break and being ridiculously busy trying to do as many fun things as possible, sleeping little and eating lots, it was rather shocking returning to Baza, the town I am living in here in Spain (Pronounced Batha, pronouncing the first 'a' like you would in the word, 'bar').

One thing that was high on my list of things to do when I got back this semester was to buy an entire ham leg, because it truly is one of the best things I have ever eaten. However, I will probably not be doing so because I realized that an entire leg of Jamón is just too much for one person to consume in a reasonable amount of time - even for someone who is as obsessed with it as I am. So, that leaves me with buying a little ham at a time and enjoying it at tapas bars, which is just fine with me. 

The thing is, I don't even like ham that much as people in the states know it. That said, if you are not a huge ham fan, do not become disheartened or uninterested because there is a high chance that you could acquire the same love for Spanish Jamón as I do.

This is a great article from the New York Times that does a great job of capturing the romance around the Jamón in Spain, and the pride that the people here have for it. An excerpt:

Spaniards take this food tradition seriously. More than 40 million cured hams were sold last year in Spain, and those derived from Iberian pigs are a particular source of national pride. Local residents started curing meats more than a thousand years ago, eventually turning the craft into an art.

...Each leg of ham spends about nine days covered in salt; it hangs for weeks in winter temperatures, so the salt penetrates deeply, then for months in summer heat, prompting a “sweating” process by which the fat further permeates the muscle fibers. This happens in cavernous chambers devoid of machinery, where windows are opened or shut depending on winds and humidity. When summer ends, the hams are moved to a dark cellar where they age for two or more years, intensifying their aroma and flavor, much like a fine wine.

One problem I do have with the article is that he only talks about the very most expensive ham that you can buy. At most supermarkets here,  you can buy an entire ham leg for around 50 euro. While it isn't the BEST, it's still really good and it's what most Spaniards eat. So, if you are in Spain in the next 5 months, give me a call and we can go eat some Jamón together - you will not be disappointed.



That's all for now, but more to come this week so check it out...