Spanish Ham from Guijuelo
Ibérico Products from Guijuelo available at IberGour
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Guijuelo is a town with a population around 10,000 in the southeast of Salamanca (Spain). It is the location of the central offices of the Guijuelo Designation of Origin, created over 20 years ago and a pioneer in the ham sector.
Iberian pigs come from various parts of Spain: Salamanca, Extremadura, Cordova, Huelva, Seville and Castile La Mancha, but the hams are cured and aged only in the Guijuelo area. Its microclimate is essential for the curing process, which takes place in over 200 plants in towns such as Guijuelo, Ledrada, Sotoserrano, Miranda del Castañar, Béjar, Candelario, Frades de la Sierra, and Tamames.
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Guijuelo
Guijuelo is situated on the Iberian plain over one thousand metres above sea level. It is bordered on the east by the Tormes River, on the west by Mt. Tonda and on the south by two mountain ranges: Sierra de Béjar and Sierra de Gredos. The microclimate is characterised by cold, dry winters and short, mild summers, ideal for perfect drying and excellent ageing of hams.
Iberian hams have been produced here since the Middle Ages, alongside other industries like leather tanning, footwear and soap. But in the past 100 years the sausage and ham industry has grown dramatically, thanks in part to the efforts made by the producers' associations and other local organisations to expand trade and information.
International fame dates from long ago. In 1892 a journalist named Wanderer published an article entitled "Candelario in the land of hams and sausages", analysing the ham and sausage industry in this town.
Characteristics of the Guijuelo Designation of Origin
Only purebred Iberian pigs or a cross of 75% Iberian and 25% Duroc-Jersey can be used for hams and shoulder cuts under this PDO.
There are two grades of hams based on the pigs' diet before slaughter:
- Bellota-grade Iberian ham: Ham from yearling pigs that have eaten compound feed, straw and grass up to a weight of 80 kg, while the remaining weight-gain up to 160-180 kg is completed with a diet of grass and acorns during the free-range fattening period (montanera). It is distinguished by a red seal and a silver-coloured band showing the season it came from.
- Iberico ham: Ham from yearling pigs that have eaten compound feed, straw and grass up to a weight of 80 kg, while the remaining weight-gain up to 160-180 kg is completed with a diet of natural animal feed exclusively or as a supplement to acorns and grass during the free-range fattening period. It is distinguished by a numbered green seal and a white band, also numbered.
The Regulatory Board monitors the entire production process, from the farms (breed, breeding, rearing, fattening or free-range fattening) until curing. After the animals have been butchered in a slaughterhouse registered with the Regulatory Board, the cuts are marked with an indelible stamp consisting of two letters identifying the batch.
Genuine acorn-fed Iberian pigs are butchered after a period of unperturbed rooting on the open range, and the hams undergo complete chromatographic testing. The result of this analysis is a provisional grade: a numbered red seal for bellota-grade Iberian hams and shoulders and green for Iberian grade.
The ham or shoulder then begins a lengthy process lasting two and a half or three years under the watchful eye of master ham processors. The first stage is curing, which lasts six months and is required for proper preservation. Then comes ageing, when the hams and shoulders undergo changes in taste and aroma resulting from a biochemical process that, together with the attributes of the raw material, gives them their traditional quality, especially their characteristic flavour and aroma.
Hams from Guijuelo
The characteristics of Guijuello DO hams and shoulders are:
- Outer aspect: Long, slender and well-shaped, with the black hoof intact.
- Weight: Not less 4.5 kg for hams or 3.5 kg for shoulders.
- Colouring: Between rosy and purplish-red, depending on ageing time. The white, bluish-grey, dark or purple colour of fungal growth is visible before cutting.
- Consistency: Firm in the fleshy parts and slightly oily.
- Flavour: A touch of salt. Delicate, fragrant aroma.
The deep red colour that appears on cutting is typical of free-range animals of advanced age (18 months). The marbling fat causes the glossy white streaks that characterise Iberian pork products and makes them juicy and tender. The intense, persistent aroma and flavour come from long ageing. Guijuelo ham is also known for its low salt content, resulting from optimum climate conditions that make the salting period shorter than in other parts of Spain.
Time in the ageing cellar according to weight, grade and shape
| Cut weight of the piece at the slaughterhouse | Minimum ageing time in the cellar | Expected weight after cellar ageing | |
|---|---|---|---|
| In hams | from 7 to 8 Kg. | 9 months | from 4.5 to 5 Kg. |
| from 8 to 11 Kg. | from 9 to 12 months | from 5 to 7.5 Kg. | |
| more than 11 Kg. | 16 months | more than 8 Kg. | |
| In shoulder cuts | 5 kg. | 5 months | from 3,5 to 4 Kg. |
| more than 5 Kg. | 6 months | more than 4 Kg. |
Chemical composition of bellota-grade Iberian ham
| Moisture | 30% |
| Proteins | 30% |
| Fat | 30%, of which 70% are unsaturated fatty acids that do not produce cholesterol and are essential in the human diet |
| Calories | 170 (per 100 grams) |
Production figures
A total of 605,752 seals were issued in 2004 and 256,081 cuts with bands went onto the market. In 2005 the figure for seals was 863,409, and 342,808 hams and shoulder cuts protected by bands went onto the market, the highest percentage in the history of the PDO.
See also
Ibérico de Bellota Ham in Spain
- Spanish Ham from Jabugo
- Spanish Ham from Extremadura
- » Spanish Ham from Guijuelo
- Spanish Ham from Huelva
- Spanish Ham from Los Pedroches
