Ibérico ham from the supermarket or a specialist: what to look for

Ibérico ham is now sold in almost every supermarket, as well as by delis, butchers and online specialists, and prices vary widely. What should you look for? Not so much the shop as these seven points.

1. The full name

Under the Spanish quality standard every Ibérico ham must state its feeding: de bellota, de cebo de campo or de cebo. If it only says “ibérico” or “premium ibérico” without that, look more closely.

2. The label colour

Black (bellota 100% ibérico), red (bellota), green (cebo de campo) or white (cebo). It tells you at a glance what you are buying. Explained: the four label colours.

3. The breed percentage

100%, 75% or 50% Iberian breed. A higher percentage usually means more marbling and a softer flavour.

4. Hand-carved or machine-sliced

Hand-carved slices are smaller, irregular and wafer-thin. Machine-sliced slices are larger and even. Both can be delicious; hand-carved costs more and is often rated higher by connoisseurs.

5. Slice thickness

Ibérico ham should be wafer-thin: so thin you can almost see through it. Thick slices turn chewy.

6. The ingredients list

A good ham has a short ingredients list: pork and salt, sometimes with a preservative. The shorter, the better.

7. Price per kilo

Always check the price per kilo, not per pack. A 50 g pack looks cheap but can cost more per kilo than a larger pack. As a guide in the Netherlands:

If a “bellota” is strikingly cheap, check the label again.

Supermarket or specialist?

• Supermarket: convenient and often cheaper. Usually cebo or cebo de campo, machine-sliced.
• Specialist: more choice of qualities, often hand-carved, and someone who can tell you where the ham comes from.

At Ibéricos Anjoreta the ham comes from our own family shop in Málaga, where we slice and vacuum pack it ourselves. Every ham shows its label colour. See our Ibérico ham or read why Ibérico ham is so expensive.