The Gran Reserva Ham
Gran Reserva ham is considered a premium ham that is at the top of the quality scale of cured ham in general.
Although the name is used as a generic name to refer to ham that is not Iberian, Gran Reserva ham differs in different types depending on the curing time it has undergone.
Types of Gran Reserva Ham
Gran Reserva ham or cured ham is anyone from white pigs. These pigs are generally reared under intensive feeding with feed and cereals.
In terms of curing time, this product is usually cured between 7 and 24 months and is called by different names depending on the curing time. The types of Gran Reserva ham then are:
- “Bodega”-cellar: 9 months of ageing
- Reserva or “añejo”- aged: 12 months of ageing
- Gran Reserva: 15 months of ageing
The most important thing is that you know that there is a big difference between products from white pigs and those from Iberian pigs.
They are different breeds, they have different physiological characteristics and something essential, they feed in different ways: only the Iberico de Bellota pigs (the ones that do the Montanera season) eat acorns and only the Iberian pigs produce the famous Iberian ham in all its qualities, Iberico de Cebo, Iberico de Cebo de Campo and Iberico Bellota.
The DOs of Gran Reserva ham
The Denominations of Origin are an indication that is applied to protect the origin, areas and methods of production of certain products.
Just like the Iberian Ham, the Gran Reserva Ham also has, specifically, a designation of origin and a PGI (Protected Geographical Indication):
DO Teruel Ham
- Pigs raised exclusively in the province of Teruel with a minimum curing time of 14 months and a weight of more than 7 kilos.
IGP Jamón de Trévelez
- Production area in the province of Granada, in some towns of Sierra Nevada such as Juviles, Busquistar, Bérchules, Pórtugos, La Taha, Capileira, Bubión and Trevélez. The hams come from white pigs of different breeds, including Landrace, Large-White and Duroc-Jersey. The curing time of these products is between 14 and 30 months.
In Enrique Tomás we have at our clients’ disposal the superior quality of the Gran Reserva ham, the Gran Reserva Ham.
Enjoy fantastic sandwiches at our tasting bar or take with you sliced ham in vacuum packed sachets or whole pieces of Gran Reserva (bon-in) ham and ham shoulder.
