If Spain had one national gastronomic treasure, it would undoubtedly be “jamón ibérico”!
The country’s cured-to-perfection ham is unlike anything you’ve ever tasted before. When it comes from the pigs that are native to the Iberian Peninsula, it’s even better.
This is a perfect tour for you when you want to learn about the famous Spanish Iberian Ham and enjoy a wine tasting along.
When selecting a ham, there are two main aspects you need to take into account: the breed and the diet.
IBERIAN BREED
The breed our prized ham comes from is the “ibérico” (Iberian) pork. It’s a black pig that is a mix between our wild boar and the pigs the Phoenicians brought to the peninsula thousands of years ago. Nevertheless, concerning the ham, the percentage of this breed can vary: so you can find 100% Iberian hams (both parents were Iberian; pure-bred), but as well 75% or 50% when they were crossed with other pigs like the Duroc.
Tour description
We will start the tour visiting one of our famous Food Markets in Barcelona, either the Boquería Market or Santa Caterina´s (depending on the day we will check which one is quieter for us!) . There we will see the authentic little stands specialized in selling these cured meats made of Iberian pig. It is always fun to feel like a local doing the shopping in our colourful and lively markets.
Afterwards we will head for our destination: our favourite wine shop where we can sit down and taste and chat and compare 4 different types of ham matching them with 4 different types of Catalan wines ( two cavas and two wines ) to see what matches the best or which one each of us like the most. To accompany the ham and the wine we also serve our famous Catalan Bread Toast with tomato and olive oil !