Jabugo Ham Tastings at Iberica

Ben O' Norum
By Ben O' Norum Last edited 158 months ago
Jabugo Ham Tastings at Iberica

This week, Iberica restaurant and deli on Great Portland Street (that’s Iberica Food & Culture to give it its full name) is welcoming in a new season of Iberico ham, including the highly sought after hams from the denominación de origen (DO) of Jabugo – the crème de la crème of Spain’s pig products.

The Jabugo Ham Sierra Mayor brand which they’re showcasing was developed with assistance from El Bulli’s master of the molecular Ferran Adria. The pigs’ diets (they’re fed mainly on acorns, but walnuts and herbs also feature) as well as length of ageing (around 36 months) and storage temperature are carefully monitored to create optimum flavour and melt-in-the-mouth texture.

To celebrate this epic ham’s arrival in London for the first time, Iberica will be offering (h)ample 20g tasters free all-day until Friday for all customers, whilst they’ve also put together a special Jabugo menu featuring particularly piggy amounts of the good stuff.

If you really get a taste for Jabugo, and happen to have £280 knocking around, you could buy a whole leg of the Jabu brand ham from Brindisa at Borough Market. Otherwise, Iberica is the only place you’ll find the ham this side of the Eurotunnel.

Popping by is no hardship, though, as we’ll confess to having a real soft spot for this high-end but reasonably priced restaurant and deli. Seemingly Michelin think the same thing, as Iberica was recently awarded a Bib Gourmand (see all the winners here) in honour of it offering, “good food at moderate prices”.

Iberica is at 195 Great Portland Street, W1W 5PS (map). Well, we know where this little piggy is off to, then...

Last Updated 26 January 2011