Organoleptic properties

Organoleptic properties are all those physical features of matter in general, as perceived by the senses, such as taste, texture, smell, color or temperature.

So speaking of the ham we are referring to its color, smell and above all its taste.

Color

The intense red colour is due to myoglobin, a pigment that increases proportionally with dehydration and intensifies during the salting process. For a ham to be suitable for sale, the colour must be uniform, not so much in terms of fat.

Smell

The aroma is very important because it is the first sense with which we begin digestion. The aroma of the ham is determined by the breed, the diet and above all the curing process.

Taste

As for flavour, in addition to the chemical compounds mentioned above, others are added such as amino acids and nucleotides, which are responsible for changing the level of maturation of the ham.

In addition, to make it more juicy, two factors must be taken into account during the process: humidity to help release the juice from the meat and the stimulating effect of the fat on the palate.