Jamón Ibérico is made from the pigs of a special breed called “cerdo iberico,” also known as “Pata Negra” which literally means “black foot.” Oftentimes, these hams are sold with the hoofs as proof of their genuineness. A sow gives birth to no more than 15 piglets per year, that for the next 2 years are raised on free pasture while they grow up and get fatter. Being able to roam freely helps the fat to distribute in the muscles in thin streaks, instead of getting stored on the top. The biggest part of the piglets’ diet are Bellota acorns — they give the meat a special nutty taste. The hams are dry-cured for no less than one year, some — up to 4 years. All in all, it requires 5 years of constant investment to get this delicacy.

The aged Jamón Ibérico de Bellota is not nearly as salty as, say, a stagionato/stravecchio Prosciutto di Parma or even jamón serrano. Also, the fat in Ibérico de Bellota does not linger as it does in other cured hams, it dissolves pretty much immediately on your tongue because the fat melts close to body temperature (which is one of the reasons it’s so extraordinary).