ham is a whole culture that goes beyond food ingest. therefore very few things are taken as seriously here as ham.
the
breed of the pigs and their
raising and caring, the butchering and curing of the legs in the controlled storing unit; the seasoning and maturing.
after that there's the post production where the proper cutting is required. many a good portion of ham has been ruined by a too thick cut because the slices need to be paper thin in order to uplift its perfume and boost the flavor.
then comes the ritual part of the cutting. a hand gloved in a coat of mail of sorts is placed at the correct angle and commences its dance, slowly sliding and shaving the surface.
this is a skill so there are
specific courses in official academies where people train.
the yearly highlight are the much expected ham cutting tournaments which take place in various regions in spain. it is not only a great honor to win the medal; it can also translate in job offers because good ham cutters are greatly sought after.
another part of the ritual is sampling and buying. every good jamoneria takes pride in their product and hands you out a sample before you buy. if it's slightly firm, sweet and with no saltiness you are ready to buy your ham.
but, mind you at the prices a good
iberico ham commands- around 90-150€ kilo of cut ham, whole piece is slightly less pricey - you definitely buy a taste.
since there's huge difference in flavor between
serrano which comes from white pigs and iberico as a result you pay for that difference.
last but not least there's the social component of the ham culture.
given the social nature of spaniards perhaps the most important is sharing a good ham with friends.
for that special celebration people splurge, have a friend or two by the side and indulge in iberico accompanied by a good
fino sherry -my favorite take- or a good red wine.
small pleasures in life; good talk, good friends, good ham.
pd. need i say i was in madrid? ^_^
neki desu