The breed of our pigs
When describing ham this is one of the most distinguishing characteristics. The meat, and mainly the way in which the fat appears, enable differentiating the breed of pig. At Incarlopsa we work with white pigs and from them we obtain Serrano ham.
A very lean meat, the fat remaining on the exterior part. The ham from this breed is called Serrano Ham (homogeneous cut hams, of reddish meat, with white or slightly yellowish fat, slightly salty and with a smooth aroma).
The white Pig is one of the main breeds that Incarlopsa works with:
• Duroc
• Pietrain
• Landrace
• Large white
The description of Serrano Ham is not limited to a specific area, although it is regulated (by the Foundation of Serrano Ham) by some minimum quality requirements; the same whereof classify the product according to the curing period:
• Reserve: Serrano Hams with curing period over 12 months.
• Great Reserve: Serrano Hams with curing period over 15 months.
Did you know that…?
The Iberian Ham is commonly called Pata Negra Ham (literally black leg); given that the skin and the hoof of the Iberian pig are usually of a black colour. But to everyone’s amazement, this is not an official description since there are varieties of Iberian pig that are not black, and non-Iberian pigs with black or very dark coats.