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Jamón Iberico in America


MarketStEl

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Over in the Pennsylvania board, I report on a discovery I made at DiBruno's in the Italian Market today:

Jamón Iberico is now available in Philadelphia.

I'm assuming that this means that you can now find it in a handful of other U.S. cities.

I had understood that Federal rules prohibited its import. What has changed, pray tell?

At the price being charged for it, it's going to be the rare treat indeed.

Sandy Smith, Exile on Oxford Circle, Philadelphia

"95% of success in life is showing up." --Woody Allen

My foodblogs: 1 | 2 | 3

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Sandy,

I believe the FDA approved it's import last summer after Embutidos Fermin (the slaughterhouse and processor) met required standards for importation. The ham is particularly expensive because it's extraordinarily delicious. Only the Iberian breed is used and they are fed acorns exclusively.

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Belotta is expensive anywhere you go, its from a specific breed of slow growing pig (pata negra, or black foot), it is only produced in the Jabugo region, and the top grade is primarily fed on acorns and roams free range (hence belotta, or acorns in the name). Finally, it is aged for 12-24 months which adds to the cost.

The cost is even higher in the us because one producer went through the onerous FDA approval process, which due to the aging involved took over two years. they therefore have an effective monopoly on the us market and have a lot more demand than they can supply.

Having said all this, i agree with Marya that its expensive due to the deliciousness... why would there be all this demand otherwise!!

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So true - it's expensive even in Spain!

Fermin did export some hams to the US earlier in the year, and then there was some sort of supply problem.

New product just came back in this month - I am looking for it up here in Boston - anyone seen it yet? I'll be Formaggio would have it.

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Anthony Bourdain's July 3rd 2006 Episode called "Decoding Ferran Adria" had a wonderful segment on Jamón ibérico. Ferran send Bourdain to this exclusive shop just to sample this amazing stuff, and ever since then I have dearly wanted to just have a taste. But I can only find mail order whole hams, and I can't afford the $800 it would cost to buy one.

Most of this episode is upon YouTube, but they CUT OUT the whole segment of Bourdain visiting the specialty Jamón ibérico shop. It was the best part of the whole show and extremely informative.

Also keep in mind that Jamón Iberico comes in several grades, and the best grade hams will not be available in the US until 2008! That will probably cost quite a bit more than $100 a pound.

"There's nothing like a pork belly to steady the nerves."

Fergus Henderson

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If you want to thank someone, thank Jose Andres of Washington DC. He worked with the federal government to get it all approved. I believe the first shipment of jamon iberico went directly to his plethora of excellent restaurants in DC for their Jamon celebration.

Could you imagine an evening an Jaleo celebrating Jamon Iberico? How I wish I could have been there!!!

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I think that they both (Andres, Tienda) were both to thank. La Tienda is certainly to thank for being a trailblazer in the importation of Spanish goods, when no one else even considered it. I ordered piquillos from them a few years ago because they were the only ones that had them.

And if you think it is too expensive -- save the money and go to Barcelona instead :)

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Since we're giving shout-outs here :wink:, we should also thank La Española Meats for helping out with the red tape. I had a conversation with the owner, Juana, one day and she mentioned how much she went through to correct the earlier iberico fiasco and set up a proper importation channel.

FWIW, La Española has been doing this since 1982 but has only had a web-presence since 2000. And, she sells a lot of product directly to La Tienda, so she says. I believe her, based on the appearance of their bricks-n-mortar location. If you're in the area, drop by.

And, of course, I have no affiliation to La Española other than being a loyal customer!

So we finish the eighteenth and he's gonna stiff me. And I say, "Hey, Lama, hey, how about a little something, you know, for the effort, you know." And he says, "Oh, uh, there won't be any money. But when you die, on your deathbed, you will receive total consciousness."

So I got that goin' for me, which is nice.

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For those of you who may be going, The Rogers Collection will have some Fermin Jamon Iberico in their booth at the San Diego Fancy Food Show.

John Sconzo, M.D. aka "docsconz"

"Remember that a very good sardine is always preferable to a not that good lobster."

- Ferran Adria on eGullet 12/16/2004.

Docsconz - Musings on Food and Life

Slow Food Saratoga Region - Co-Founder

Twitter - @docsconz

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When in New York in August of 2007 for a brief vacation, we were at Todaro Bros. for their expensive-and-worth it deli sandwiches, piled high with gourmet salumi. However, they were also advertising Jamón Iberico - at the time, I wasn't aware it had come to the states. We picked up 1/4 lb. (at $40.00/lb.) and found it lacking.

I'm assuming in retrospect, having read some of the useful tidbits above, that this was a lower grade.

David aka "DCP"

Amateur protein denaturer, Maillard reaction experimenter, & gourmand-at-large

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Someone sent me this link, and if you understand a little bit of Spanish is very funny.

Jamon Iberico

That's good. I particularly like the iknife!

John Sconzo, M.D. aka "docsconz"

"Remember that a very good sardine is always preferable to a not that good lobster."

- Ferran Adria on eGullet 12/16/2004.

Docsconz - Musings on Food and Life

Slow Food Saratoga Region - Co-Founder

Twitter - @docsconz

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