Jamón de Teruel

Appearance & taste

The hams are elongated and well shaped, rounded at the edges and with the foot. The rind is left whole or cut in a V shape. On the outside they may be covered with typical moulds. But they may also be clean and rubbed with oil or fat.

The cut surface is red and shiny, and the fat partly runs through the muscle. The meat tastes delicate and not very salty. The fat is soft, shiny and yellowish white, aromatic and pleasant in taste.

Whole hams bear a numbered band with the logo of the designation of origin. In addition there is a brand made up of the word “TERUEL” and an eight-pointed star. Boned, in pieces or packed in slices, the ham bears a numbered control label. The label may also state the ripening time on a voluntary basis.

Production

On the mother’s side the pigs descend from Landrace, Large White or a cross of both, on the father’s side from Duroc. They are born, fattened, slaughtered and cut up in the province of Teruel. At least 50 % of their feed consists of cereals, which should come from the area where possible. The feed mills must be located in Teruel or a neighbouring province. Only carcasses of 86 kg or more with a back fat thickness of 16 to 45 mm are processed.

Then follow salting, washing, removal of moisture, air drying and after-ripening. The salt stays on the meat for only 0.65 to 1 day per kilogram of fresh weight. That is why the ham tastes mild and not particularly salty.

Minimum values apply to the voluntary ripening terms: for the Jamón, “Más de 18 meses” requires at least 79 weeks of processing and a weight of 8 kg, “Más de 22 meses” 96 weeks and 9 kg. For the Paleta, “Más de 10 meses” stands for 44 weeks and “Más de 11 meses” for 48 weeks.

Origin & history

Drying takes place in the province’s highlands. The climate there is continental with Mediterranean influence: long, cold winters, dry air, many clear days and only about 400 mm of rain a year. In this cool, rather dry air the meat dries slowly and evenly and ripens intensively.

As early as 1798 the Spanish naturalist, jurist and historian Jordán de Asso praised the pigs from the Albarracín area for their fine flavour; they liked to eat the leaves of asphodel, which were dried and stored as winter feed. For farming families in Teruel, the fattened pig was a reserve that secured their food all year round. A tradition of ham and other meat products grew up in the highlands of Jiloca, Albarracín, Gúdar and Maestrazgo. The pigs of that time no longer exist. The knowledge of the livestock farmers has remained and is used today for the cross of Landrace, Large White and Duroc.

In the province’s cooking, ham is a standard ingredient, for example in the garlic soup of Teruel (Sopa de Ajo), in Jamón con tomate a la turolense or in the Regañaos: thin, oiled bread dough topped with ham and red pepper and cooked in the oven or in a pan.