Iberian pig

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Iberian pigs in an olive grove in Extremadura (Spain)
Iberian pigs in the north of Seville (Spain)

The Iberian pig ( Spanish: Cerdo Ibérico , Portuguese: Porco ibérico ) is a breed of pigs that is indigenous to the south-west of Spain (especially Andalusia and Extremadura ) as well as in the province of Teruel ( Aragón ) and in Portugal (especially in the Alentejo ) . Iberian pigs were already bred by Roman legionaries who had settled in Extremadura.

attitude

The animals are usually kept as grazing pigs in summer and winter in cork oak and holm oak groves ( dehesas in Spanish ) and are often fattened with acorns . Compared to the (much younger) conventional domestic pig breeds, it is significantly smaller and more agile.

ham

In Spain and Portugal, the Iberian pork supplies the air-dried Iberian ham ( Jamón Ibérico ) , which is known as a specialty , also called Jamón Ibérico de Bellota ("Iberian acorn ham") in acorn-fed animals . Because of the black skin color of the animals in contrast to other breeds, the ham is also known in Spanish as Jamón de Pata Negra ("black- clawed ham "). However, this is a colloquial term that is no longer permitted in Spanish trade, as not all Ibérico pigs are black (or have black claws).

In Portugal, the local variant of the ham is called Presunto de Porco de Raça alentejana ("Ham from the Alentejo breed pig"), the protected ham from Barrancos .

Differentiations

The Spanish government agency Dehesa de Extremadura has introduced several certificates to distinguish the different ways of keeping the Iberian pig in Spain, which serve to protect the quality name Jamón Ibérico . In addition, in Spain and Portugal, both the keeping of the animals and the production of the ham, and finally the finished product, are subject to official controls. Due to different feeding, there are three quality classes in Spain:

  • Jamón Ibérico de Bellota or Jamón Ibérico terminado en montanera comes from free-range pigs that have gained around 40% of their live weight from acorns of the holm oaks and cork oaks and herbs. The acorns provide the nutty taste.
  • Jamón Ibérico de Recebo comes from pigs that were fed acorns. During this time, acorns and herbs increase the initial weight by approx. 30%. The final fattening is done with grain and cattle feed.
  • The Jamón Ibérico de Pienso (Campo) comes from pigs that were fattened in the barn with only grain and fodder.

See also

Web links

Commons : Iberian Pig  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Jamón de Pata Negra: Iberian pork ham
  2. ↑ Ministerio de Agricultura, Alimentación y Medio Ambiente: DOP Dehesa de Extremadura (Spanish)