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Bayonne ham or jambon de Bayonne is a cured ham that takes its name from the ancient port city of Bayonne in the far southwest of France, a city located in both the cultural regions of Basque Country and Gascony. It has PGI status. [1]
The area concerned is the basin of the river Adour and this geographical limitation is now enshrined in the regulations for the production of Bayonne ham. The meat itself does not have to come from the Adour basin but has to be produced from one of eight clearly defined breeds of pig reared in an area from Deux-Sèvres in the north to Aveyron and the Aude. The regulations are very strict and cover the zone of origin of the pork, the regime for feeding the animals (no steroids, no fish oils, no antibiotics), and each animal must be clearly and uniquely identifiable with a tattoo. Transport, slaughter, size and weight of the original meat cut, minimum fat cover, linoleic acid content, and the post slaughter storage temperature for the meat are all specified. The ham produced within these criteria is given the European Union PGI status Protected Designation of Origin and as such is called Bayonne ham. [2] Enforcement of these regulations and the granting of the right to use the name Bayonne ham is the responsibility of Le Consortium de Jambon du Bayonne based in Pau, the capital of Department 64 in southwest France.
The drying method used in modern times mimics that used in the past. Each drying storage chamber has temperature and humidity controls set to match seasonal variations. Originally the pigs were slaughtered in late October and early November. The hams were then rubbed in salt produced in the salt pans of the Adour estuary or from those near Béarn. [3] The temperature conditions at this time of year, 6 to 8 °C (43 to 46 °F), are ideal for the initial preserving process and the hams were left hanging in the drying room until the end of January or early February. In the next part of the process, a mixture of pork fat and flour called pannage is used to seal the cut end of the joint. This reduces the speed in which the meat dries out during the warmer months of March, April, and May. At some point during this time many of the producers will also rub a paste of piment d'Espelette (Basque chile pepper) into the skin, giving a unique tang to the end product. The final drying stage is completed by the end of July and the ham is ready. Modern techniques using individual drying chambers with temperature and humidity controls simply reproduce the seasonal temperatures and the changing humidity conditions produced each year by the foehn (southerly wind) and the Atlantic Ocean. The size of ham used is normally within the range of 8 to 9 kg (18 to 20 lb) including bone.
Once the ham has completed its curing process, it is marked with the lauburu (traditional Basque cross), topped with the name Bayonne. The ham is a minimum of 7 months old, with most being 9 or 10 months before it is offered for sale, and it will keep for up to another year if kept in a cool (8 °C), dry atmosphere.
The ham is a slightly sweet, delicately flavoured meat with little salt to the taste. It is generally cut very thin and has a chewy texture in comparison to cooked hams.
Ham is pork from a leg cut that has been preserved by wet or dry curing, with or without smoking. As a processed meat, the term "ham" includes both whole cuts of meat and ones that have been mechanically formed.
Salting is the preservation of food with dry edible salt. It is related to pickling in general and more specifically to brining also known as fermenting and is one form of curing. It is one of the oldest methods of preserving food, and two historically significant salt-cured foods are salted fish and salt-cured meat. Vegetables such as runner beans and cabbage are also often preserved in this manner.
Prosciutto crudo, in English often shortened to prosciutto, is uncooked, unsmoked, and dry-cured ham. Prosciutto crudo is usually served thinly sliced.
Bresaola is air-dried, salted beef that has been aged two or three months until it becomes hard and turns a dark red, almost purple color. It is made from top (inside) round, and it is lean and tender, with a sweet, musty smell. It originated in Valtellina, a valley in the Alps of northern Italy's Lombardy region.
Pancetta is a salt-cured pork belly meat, product in a category known as salume. In Italy, it is often used to add depth to soups and pastas.
Jamón is a kind of dry-cured ham produced in Spain. It is one of the most globally recognized food items of Spanish cuisine. It is also regularly a component of tapas.
Charcuterie is a French term for a branch of cooking devoted to prepared meat products, such as bacon, ham, sausage, terrines, galantines, ballotines, pâtés, and confit, primarily from pork.
Jamón ibérico, "Iberian ham," is a variety of jamón or presunto, a type of cured leg of pork produced in Spain and Portugal.
In Spanish, cecina is meat that has been salted and dried by means of air, sun or smoke. The word comes from the Latin siccus (dry), via Vulgar Latin (caro) *siccīna, "dry (meat)".
Elenski but is a dry-cured ham from the town of Elena, in northern Bulgaria, and a popular delicacy throughout the country. The meat has a specific taste and can be preserved in the course of several years, owing much to the special process of making and the climatic conditions of the part of Stara Planina where Elena is located.
Leonese cuisine is a sub category of Spanish food that is considered to be very exotic and caloric.
Pig slaughter is the work of slaughtering domestic pigs to obtain pig meat (pork). It regularly happens as part of traditional and intensive pig farming. which is both a common economic activity as well as a traditional feast in some European and Asian countries.
Speck Alto Adige PGI is a dry-cured, lightly smoked ham produced in South Tyrol, northern Italy. Parts of its production are regulated by the European Union under the protected geographical indication (PGI) status.
Jinhua ham is a type of specialty dry-cured ham named after the city of Jinhua, where it is produced, in Zhejiang province, China. The ham is used in Chinese cuisines to flavor stewed and braised foods as well as for making the stocks and broths of many Chinese soups. The ham was awarded first prize in the 1915 Panama International Merchandise Exhibition.
Sausages and cured meats are widely consumed in Switzerland. Meat in general is consumed on a daily basis, pork being particularly ubiquitous in Swiss cuisine. Preserving meat by smoking it or by adding salt has been done for millennia in Switzerland.
The Jambon sec des Ardennes is the collective certification mark for dry-cured hams from the French department of the Ardennes, made from pigs' legs purchased from local farmers and processed by salting, drying and aging.
Media related to Jambon de Bayonne at Wikimedia Commons
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