Jabugo

Jabugo (also Jamón de Huelva, Jabugo ham) is a Spanish PDO for hams and shoulders from 100% Iberian pigs that ate only acorns and natural dehesa resources during the montanera and were cured naturally in the Sierra de Huelva (Andalusia). Before 2017 the PDO was called Jamón de Huelva. A ham of 7 kg or more is cured for at least 730 days.

The raw material is the hind legs (jamón) and forelegs (paleta) of «100% ibérico» pigs. The montanera runs from 1 October to 31 March. A lot goes in at an average 92-115 kg and must gain at least 46 kg over more than 60 days; the carcass weighs at least 108 kg, slaughter age is from 14 months, and there are at most 1.25 pigs per hectare.

Salting uses common salt and nitrifying salts at 0-10 °C, roughly a day per kilogram. The leg is then washed, and the salt equalises for 30-180 days. After that the ham dries in natural drying sheds for at least 3 months and matures in natural cellars for at least another 360 days (ham) or 180 days (shoulder). Counting from the start of salting, that makes at least 600 days for a ham under 7 kg, 730 days for 7 kg or more and 365 days for a shoulder. Freezing is not allowed at any stage.

Jabugo is cured in 31 municipalities of the Sierra de Huelva. The hill region covers 307,952 ha, over 73% of it forest and more than 120,000 ha dehesa, at altitudes of 500-1,042 m. The name Jabugo was published in the Official Journal of the EU on 7 March 2017.

Outside, the finished ham wears a coat of white or grey-blue mould. Underneath is a shiny cut, pink to purple-red, with veins of fat. The taste is delicate, sweet or slightly salty with a characteristic aroma; the muscle is firm, the fat unctuous, white with a yellowish tinge.

Compared with ordinary Iberian Jamón, Jabugo takes only 100% Iberian acorn-fed pigs and cures only in the cellars of the Sierra de Huelva. Compared with Jamón Serrano: over 730 days against 210, the hoof kept, an Iberian breed. Compared with Prosciutto di Parma: acorns instead of cereals with whey, 730 days instead of 14 months, nitrifying salts instead of sea salt only.

How do you avoid a mistake in the shop? Look for a numbered seal from the slaughterhouse and a numbered mark at the cellar exit, both naming the PDO; «Jabugo» must stand out on the label. A finished ham weighs at least 5.75 kg, a shoulder at least 3.7 kg. The shape is elongated, with a V-cut and the hoof kept.

Why does this matter to you? «Jabugo» is the name of a place and a set of rules, not a brand for any Iberian ham. A ham of 7 kg or more matures 730 days here, not 210 as in serrano. So check the seal and the mark at the cellar exit, rather than the word «ibérico» alone. For wider context see the pages Dry-cured hams and shoulders, Prosciutto crudo and Curing of meat in the theme Cured meats & charcuterie. Here the pig eats acorns, and time does the rest.