Spain
Spain's greatest ham comes from black Iberian pigs, and the finest — jamón ibérico de bellota — is cured under PDOs such as Jabugo, Guijuelo, Dehesa de Extremadura and Los Pedroches, from pigs fattened on acorns in the oak dehesas. Years of curing yield a deep, marbled, melting ham.
The imitation is ordinary white-pig ‘serrano’ or vaguely ‘Spanish’ ham. Only acorn-fed Iberian ham under one of these PDOs is the real bellota.
