Jamón Ibérico and the beautiful South of Spain

Sunshine all year round, beaches at your every corner and historic cities with lots to discover and see. Southern Spain will not let you down. Enticed by the lively night atmosphere, the buzzing plaza feel and the large selection of tapas in every restaurant, we have found ourselves returning to the south of Spain three times this year alone! OK, we have family in Aguilas and have been coming back for almost 30 years.

So let’s cut to the chase…what’s there to do other than eating the finest Jamón in the world of course? (We’ll get to that later.)

Assuming you fly into Alicante, pick up your rental car, drive south and make your first stop Aguilas. This authentic, murcian coastal town will give you a true Spanish experience without the thousands of tourists; a laid-back hidden gem. May we suggest checking out a few of the many beaches in and around town, having lunch at one of their chiringuitos, and going out for dinner at El Pimiento in the centre of town for real Murcian grub (just don’t show up before 9pm).

Head west and enter Andalusia. Now every house comes in bright white, the most beautiful beaches are unveiled and if you’re lucky you’ll still get a tapa for free with every beer you order. Do check out Mojàcar, Mijas and Ronda for their boutiques, souveniers and special unique character. If you’re into cowboys and cowgirls then make a stop on the way in the Almeria area. The many Western sites such as Fort Bravo provide great entertainment for the kids and grown ups alike!

Since the south of Spain was occupied by the Moors for almost 800 years (up until 1492), there are many historic sites worthy of a visit. Take Granada for example with its spectacular Alhambra, a palace rich with its mixed islamic and christian architecture. Córdoba, northwest of Granada also offers the La Mezquita, an immense mosque built in 784 A.D, and Seville, Andalusia’s capital prizes famous landmarks, such as the ornate Alcázar and its adjoining Seville Cathedral which features Christopher Columbus’ tomb. Eating in Seville by the way is an absolute must! We would go back to Seville just for its famous tapas trail, making sure we pay a visit to tucked away Maravilla and Salsamento for their juicy meat platters.

One last city worth mentioning for our recommended road trip is of course Cádiz. Founded 3,000 years ago by the Phoenicians, Cádiz is the oldest city in Western Europe. This ancient port city is just charming. With so many monuments and colonial houses, this city breathes history. Cádiz was where the Spaniards once shipped back goods from the New World, making it a rich and booming town in the 16th century.

But we digress…

We could talk about other places and fun things to do such as checking out the city of Malaga, driving around the Rock of Gibraltar or travelling along the coastal road to Tarifa with the exciting view of Africa in the backdrop. However we now must move on to the land of ham, the best ham in the world: Jamón Ibérico de Bellota!

We are talking about the back legs that come from the Iberico pig. In order to be given the title of “Jamón Ibérico de Bellota” it must be at least 75% original Iberico pork and meet the following requirements too:

1. Roam freely on at least one acre per pig of Dehesa land (oak tree filled pasture found in western spain),

2. be slaughtered right after its second happy acorn season in late fall (the acorn diet gives the meat its nutty flavour and healthy unsaturated fats),

3.  and be cured in salt for about ten days before maturing (air drying) for two to four years.

All other hams that do not fit into this criteria will be labelled as “Jamón Ibérico de Recebo”, “Jamón Ibérico Cebo de campo”, “Jamón Ibérico de Cebo” or just “Serrano”.

An entire ham that weighs between six and eight kilos can set you back north of 1000€ but it is worth every cent.

We enjoyed getting to know more about the ham production when visiting the Jabugo region. The small town itself hosts many fine butchers and delicatessens as well as the Cinco Jotas visitors center offering tastings and tours.

We opted for a tour with the Jamones Eíriz company located in nearby Corteconcepción and can highly recommend it. We were led by Jesús, a passionate and knowledgeable guide. The three hour tour included a walk through the Dehesa getting to know the pigs and their environment, an extended tour around the facilities where they produce some of the finest Jamónes, Paletas, Chorizos and other sausages, and as a grand finale; a sampling of their delicious products served with lots of wine. 

It goes to show that by raising your pigs with respect, love, time and acorns, your ham will become number one! 

Saludos amigos…We’ll meat you guys around the world!

Richie & Abigail