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Simon Majumdar unravels the complexities of the time-honoured and exacting processes
used to manufacture and label Spanish hams.
Hammuch? The 'world's most expensive ham' weighs 7kg and costs 1,800.
At first glance it looks like another one of those kerrazey stories about the world's most
expensive cocktail, which turns out to be crammed full of gold leaf and diamonds, or the
similarly bejewelled 22,000 breakfast, but behind the headline, World's most expensive
ham goes on sale, is simply the news that you can now procure a very fine leg of jamn
ibrico from Selfridges for 1,800.
Which, surely, is not news at all. If you're interested in forking out many hundreds of
pounds on good Spanish ham, you can buy a leg of Maldonado ham from the same batch
on the internet for 1,322, or this here pata negra from Redondo Iglesias at 19 per 100g.
Which only goes to show that Selfridges are selling something that's more cheaply
available as "the world's most expensive ham" by bumping up the price.
Aah, but Selfridges' porky offering comes with a DNA certificate in a "hand-made
wooden box wrapped in an apron made by one of Spain's most exclusive tailors".
Gimmicky? Selfridges food hall? Surely not.
So why mention it, you ask. Well, we love jamn here on Word of Mouth and while we
haven't got 1,800, or, indeed, 1,300 spare to buy ourselves a whole leg right now, we
are (ahem) kicking off a Spanish themed week with a guide to jamn ibrico by Simon
Majumdar (look out this week for recipes, more Spanish themed features and hopefully a
live chat with Jos Pizzaro).
So have a read of the piece, come back and share your love of the pig with us - and post
any tips you have on suppliers we don't know about.