tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19214002.post116309228159325696..comments2024-02-05T00:53:15.750-08:00Comments on Food Writer’s Diary: Mai House, and a footnote on Iberian hamBret Thornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05421121059536730439noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19214002.post-1172420281478253172007-02-25T08:18:00.000-08:002007-02-25T08:18:00.000-08:00Iberian is "Iberico" in English. It refers to the ...Iberian is "Iberico" in English. It refers to the peninsula of Spain and Portugal, but also, here in Spain, "Iberico" refers to a pig's breed. Most of the pigs of the Iberian breed are "pata negra" (black hoof), but not all of them.<BR/><BR/><B>Ibergour</B>, a ham online store, has a lot of <A HREF="http://www.ibergour.com/en/productos/jamon_pata_negra.html" REL="nofollow">information about iberian ham</A>.<BR/><BR/>But I'm afraid it will not arrive to the USA until the end of 2008.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19214002.post-1163105346456395762006-11-09T12:49:00.000-08:002006-11-09T12:49:00.000-08:00Well yes, Lisa, that makes sense, but it doesn't q...Well yes, Lisa, that makes sense, but it doesn't quite answer the question I meant to ask, which is: What's the difference between Iberico ham and Iberian ham? The hosts of the party insisted that I was having Iberian ham, not Iberico, but I couldn't manage to figure out what the difference between those two was.Bret Thornhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05421121059536730439noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19214002.post-1163104560750034612006-11-09T12:36:00.000-08:002006-11-09T12:36:00.000-08:00Let's see if I can make this short: Iberico or Ibe...Let's see if I can make this short: Iberico or Iberian simply refers to the location: Iberian peninsula which includes Spain, and I believe, Portugal. So you couldn't have Iberico/Iberian ham from the U.S. only from Spain. The best Iberian ham are ones made from pata negra, or black-hoofed pigs, which are a direct descendant of wild boars and are only found in Spain. This last July finally a Spanish producer, Embutidos, got clearance from the USDA to import their pig products directly into the U.S. Previously, pigs were slaugheted outside Spain -- in countries whose slaughterhouse are USDA approved-- and then aged in Spain. Now the chorizos and salchicons are available; the jamons next year after they aged. Both pig products from the only acorn-eating pata negra and the ones that eat more are available. Does this make sense? (PS: I met you some time back at an NRA Show. I used to work with Brent Frei at Chef magazine) See ya! LisaAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com