Serrano Ham

• Iberia was well known to the Romans for its dried Hams, cured with Salt. Roman Authors referred to the manufacture of Serrano Ham and its consumption.
• Tarragona (Tarraco) in Hispania Tarraconensis was a famed producer and exporter of Serrano Hams to the city of Rome.

History

• The Roman Upper Classes ate Serrano Ham and it was considered a gourmet food, along with the other parts of the pig, in the form of cold cut meat or salted pork meat such as loins, heads, chops and pork fat.
• Iberia had a long tradition of Pig Farming and Ham production and export from before the Roman era.
• Hams, which traveled well, accompanied other exports such as Olive Oil and Wine.

Method of Manufacture

• Serrano Ham is a dry cured ham made from the white pig andserved raw in thin slices or diced.
• The method used today is virtually the same as during the Roman Empire.
• The Hams are trimmed and cleaned then covered in salt for two weeks which absorbs the excess moisture and preserves the meat.
• The salt is then washed off and the Hams hung to dry for six months. The Hams are then dried in mountain sheds for 6 to 18 months before being sold.