Pata Negra Bellota - Whole Bone-in Ham

ORIGIN OF OUR PATA NEGRA?

Pata negra means black hoof, and its name comes from the black color of the hooves of Iberian black pigs.

Iberian pigs are mainly fed acorns from oak trees in the Dehesas ("the pastures" in Spanish). The few months of primarily acorn-based feeding is called the montanera (meaning "the acorn season").

WHAT IS PATA NEGRA?

Pata Negra hams are not just any Spanish cured meats. In common parlance, people sometimes refer to all kinds of Spanish ham as “pata negra”. Thus, Cebo ham or Serrano ham are incorrectly called by this name. That's why, in 2014, regulations were put in place to distinguish these hams.

Thus, the appellation Pata Negra can only be used for 100% Iberian pigs. The term Bellota refers to the acorn-based diet of pigs in the Dehesas of western Spain. Bellota ham therefore does not necessarily come from pure Iberian pig breeds.

To help you navigate this, a decree has been implemented with a labeling system. The black label corresponds to 100% Iberian Pata Negra Bellota. The red label corresponds to Iberian Bellota ham (the percentage of Iberian breed for these pigs must be between 50% and 99%). There are also two other color codes for labels to designate other hams from the Iberian Peninsula.