No matter what part of Spain you’re in, you’re assured of a feast of incredible meats, organic produce and stellar wine.
Salamanca ham
At the Restaurante Don Mauro in the main square at Salamanca — the north western Spanish town once ruled by the Celts and Romans — we sit under the stone eyes of Teresa of Avila and Miguel Cervantes as our waiter follows up cheese croquettas and duck salad with a platter of finely sliced chorizo, salchichon, lomo and jamón — this is no ordinary ham; it is jamón ibérico from black pigs or wild boar. I am advised to let the ham sweat a little before eating it to release its fats. Sliced paper-thin, this is chewy, soft, smooth, salty, and clean — a complex, incredibly light mouth feel difficult to describe, but quite addictive. I later read that the distinct taste comes from the oleic acid-rich acorns that the pigs have been fed. I think the mountain air adds to it too.
Just to digress a bit, in Spain, hams have their own DOs i.e., labels of origin and classifications from bodega to reserva and grand reserva (aged five years). Within ibérico hams, jamón ibérico bellota signifies that you are having the true champagne of hams. Bellota is Spanish for acorns and to make this cut (it gets a Black Label status) purebred black pigs, that are fed acorns, are allowed to roam free in oak forests in the mountains. Their ham is cured and dried in mountain air for a few months up to five years, and is amongst the great hams of the world along with Parma from Italy and Bayonne from France.
This story is from the July 2016 edition of Man's World.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the July 2016 edition of Man's World.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Achieving Your Fitness Goals
Rohit Kamble
VIJAY VARMA
THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE RED HERRING
How Football Is Finding Its Voice
As the Indian Super League celebrates its tenth anniversary, we understand how the fandom in Indian football has become more vocal and organised, with some clubs also seeing the rise of Ultras groups
Through The Looking Glass
Where does the AR tech in India stand today? We try to find out after spending a few weeks with the Rokid AR Joy
Zaeden Your New 5-am friend
The singer-songwriter who is a popular name in the independent music scene, has recently dropped his highly-anticipated EP 5 am. The dance pop delves into the poignant theme of long-distance relationships, is a charming piece that is already climbing the charts
THE MACALLAN M 2023 LAUNCHES IN INDIA, REDEFINING LUXURY IN SPIRITS
With limited 10 handpicked bottles gracing the shores of India, The Macallan M 2023 stands as the pinnacle of exclusivity
Is wearing make-up normal for a man?
The male beauty industry is expanding, however what do men in beauty need to do to destigmatise it?
American artist Grant Garmezy's magic of glassblowing
From fire to form, he takes us through one of the most exciting, adrenaline-pumping crafts out there
Haute Couture On Four-Wheels
It takes a village to build the world's (allegedly) most expensive.
Riding India's Electric Two-Wheeler Wave
India's electric two-wheeler market is booming with over 640,000 units sold by December 2023, despite consumer apprehensions and the call for better infrastructure
