In Spain there are many companies producing Serrano Ham (jamón serrano), each of the companies offering products with a certain taste and a certain quality. The Serrano Ham Store select for you only those producers whose products are the best example in quality and taste. This are prestigious companies in Spain and they satisfy all standars of quality and health regulations.
It is a priority for us to offer you the best products. But we have also set the target to teach you everything about the Spanish ham and culture surrounding it. In this way we want with this learning you can acquire all the knowledge possible to differentiate all the properties and varieties of serrano ham, knowing how to differentiate the best qualities and flavours of other less value.
"As products like wine and cheese, the serrano ham must present intense and quality olfactory sensations".
When we refer only to ham, without adding the suffix "iberico" or "pata negra", we are talking about Serrano Ham. This type of ham comes from the variety of white pig. It is called Serrano because the process of breeding the animal and the curing process (development) of the product is made in mountain climate, cold and dry, giving the ham a characteristic flavour.
In Spain the mountains that have no entity of mountain system (as Pyrenees or Alps) are called "Sierras" which is where the name comes Serrano.
1.- Bodega Serrano Ham. Drying time (aging time): between 9 and 12 months.
2.- Reserva Serrano Ham. Drying time (aging time): between 12 and 15 months.
3.- Gran Reserva Serrano Ham. Drying time (aging time): more than 15 months.
As with the Pata Negra Ham (Iberico Ham), by law, the Serrano Ham has to carry its classification on the label.
The Serrano Ham brings great health benefits.
It contains iron, zinc, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B3, vitamin B6 and vitamins D, that is why the serrano ham has high nutritional value. It also has similar properties to olive oil as almost half of its fats are unsaturated. The main fatty acid constituting is oleic acid. Olive oil is the only food that has higher content of this acid than this product. Fats are very important in our bodies, as they provide energy, they build cellular structures, can carry fat-soluble vitamins, and also this fats provide the taste and aroma of food.
It prevents the onset of osteoporosis, because it contains a high quantity of iron. Especially it prevents this disease in menopause and old age, because it protects the loss of bone mass. Thus, it is highly recommended in the diet of children and adolescents, as their consumption in the early stages of life. It helps reduce the incidence of osteoporosis in later stages.
It is good for colesterol, because the fatty acids can help improve levels of LDL (bad cholesterol) and HDL (good cholesterol). Containing vitamin B2 (riboflavin), it is recommended for all types of diets, even for low-calorie ones. It is recommended as a food rich in vitamin B, essential element for preventing bad LDL cholesterol.
It enhances intellectual capacity, containing zinc, it helps develop greater mental capacity, particularly in preadolescents. The intake of 20 mg of zinc, five days a week for three months, get in the teens with a more ductile memory, to provide answers quickly and accurately and increased attention span, comprehension and retention.
At these ages, nutritionists give much importance to diets rich in zinc, so food with good content in zinc, such as Serrano Ham (jamón serrano) (containing 2.3 mg./100 g.), is essential in their diet.
In addition, other studies have claimed that zinc also promotes hand-eye coordination and muscle strength in adults. It also increases the sharpness of taste and smell and facilitates the healing of wounds, burns and gastric ulcers.
Adults also need this supply of zinc to keep the mind and mental reflexes awake.
The Serrano Ham (jamón serrano) a product with centuries of history.
The ham is not a new aliment, conversely, has long been with us. Both the pork and the ham have been with the man almost from the beginning of his era. They have been of great importance in Roman times, in Celtic, in Visigothic times... even in monasteries the monks used to raise pigs, for fill their pantries later. Also in ancient times they used similar forms of processing of the ham.
Pork and ham are and have been two of the most characteristic elements of Spain, main representatives in the Spanish culture and in most occasions it is present in dishes and meals.
The stages of processing currently used proceed from antiquity, where they were used for well conserved meat. These types of processing are currently used, but in some things perfected, in order to improve the final product.
There are several geographic areas where the tradition is most important, highlighting the area of the province of Teruel, one of the most significant and pioneer in obtaining a Denomination of Origin (D.O.), with its ham: Denomination of Origin "Jamón de Teruel".
Before the Romans arrived to the Iberian peninsula, large quantities of hams already produced. The Iberians, at that time, they traded with olive oil, wine and of course hams and sausages. These activities gave them many benefits. The pig was so valuable that in the time of Augustus and Agrippa, Roman coins created in the shape of a ham. They have also appeared figures of pigs in consular medals, used as a distinctive military legion. This has also been seen in Celts and pre-romanesque Gallics.
For them the most precious part of the pig was the ham, which was consumed only by the richest members of society.
Over the centuries, farmers are increasingly having access to pig breeding and therefore the preparation and consumption of ham. Gradually the preparation of ham and charcuterie in towns and villages was more common.
Duroc Serrano Ham from Guijuelo, Gran Reserva with 24 months of drying time. Elaboration 100% traditional. 8.0 Kg - £19.50/kg.
Boneless Duroc Serrano Ham from Guijuelo, Gran Reserva, elaboration 100% traditional with 24 months of drying time. 4.0 Kg - £30.25/kg.
Bodega Serrano Ham with more of 12 months of drying time. Quality Bodega. 7.0 Kg - £13.80/kg.
Trevelez DO Serrano Ham Gran Reserva Black Label, Delicatessen, the highest quality on serrano ham from Trevelez. Elaboration 100% traditional. 8.5 Kg - £19.50/kg.
Boneless Trevelez DO Black Label 24 Months Serrano Ham Delicatessen Gran Reserva, the highest quality. 100% artisanal with 24 months of drying time. 5.0 Kg - £27.30/kg.
"Spanish market price. Buy Serrano Ham as if you were in Spain"