Jamón Ibérico de Bellota, the incredible cured ham made from free-range, acorn-fed pork, is the ultimate of its kind. Cured for over two years, thin slices of this delectable ham glisten with beneficial fats that are the key to its profound, complex flavor.
Cinco Jotas is known as the elite brand of Ibérico ham. In fact, the word Jabugo, the town made famous by Cinco Jotas, is now synonymous with top quality Ibérico ham.
Cinco Jotas uses only 100% genetically pure bred Ibérico pigs that live their entire lives roaming the countryside of Spain. Other companies will cross breed Ibérico pigs with other breeds to increase the litter size and raw meat production. Cinco Jotas prefers to use only 100% pure Ibérico even though it's more expensive.
The hams come from an ancient breed of pig, Cerdo Ibérico, which has been roaming the woodland meadows of western Spain feeding on acorns for thousands of years. Jamón Ibérico de Bellota is the pride of Spain, and Spaniards consume the vast majority of the limited number of hams produced in their own country.
Each fall, a traditional group of breeders set aside a select group of young pigs, allowing them to roam the dehesa woodlands. There they feast upon acorns which are falling in abundance from the holm oak and cork trees. They feast on these 'bellotas' (Spanish for acorn) themselves, putting on at least two pounds of weight each day!
When it is time for their sacrifice (the Spanish term for slaughter), these genetically unique animals produce Jamón Ibérico de Bellota hams that are marbled with rich golden fat infused with the flavor of the sweet bellota acorns. Remarkably, a good portion of which is mono-unsaturated, similar to healthy olive oil. Sliced paper-thin, it glistens at room temperature and provides an inimitable rich nutty flavor and tender texture.
We are delighted to announce that this exquisite jamón is featured as #4 in the 2013 Zagat "Holiday Gift Guide: 46 Foodie Must-Buys."
For storage and slicing instructions for whole hams, see this page.
NOTE: Hoof has been removed to conform to USDA standards.
This item ships free via Economy Shipping! Order as many as you want, we won't charge a dime in shipping for addresses in the continental U.S. Note that if you add other products to the same cart, they may have shipping costs.
