The term Pata Negra is used to describe the finest cured ham from the Iberian pig . Pata Negra literally means "black leg," referring to the black color of the Iberian pig's legs. The commercial term Pata Negra is protected by Spanish law and cannot be used without permission.

Protected terms

According to El Real Decreto 4/2014 of Spanish law, Iberico ham is officially classified into 4 qualities.
These are determined by the purity of the breed and the food on which the pig was raised.

• Jamon 100% Iberico de Bellota (= the Pata Negra ham).
• Bellota Iberian Ham
• Iberian Ham from Cebo Campo
• Iberian Ham from Cebo

BELLOTA, the highest quality

Bellota is Spanish for acorn. The ham from pigs that eat exclusively cork oak acorns and grasses in their final stages of life is called Jamón Ibérico de Bellota (hind leg) or Paleta Ibérica de Bellota (front leg). They forage for these acorns and grasses "free-range," on large, mountainous areas with abundant cork oaks where the acorns grow. The term "dehesa" is used to describe these natural and ample living conditions.

The active lifestyle and diet of acorns and grasses give the ham a very distinctive nutty flavor. In autumn, when the acorns fall from the trees, the ham develops this characteristic flavor. The pigs then eat up to 10 kg of acorns per day and gain 800 grams to 1 kg per day in the last four months of their lives.

Bellota: free-range on land with many cork oaks and maximum nutrition from the acorns of these trees.

Recebo: free-range on land with few cork oaks, resulting in less acorn nutrition and a less pronounced flavour.

Cebo de Campo: limited range in fenced land and feed on acorns and other nuts, in terms of taste just below the Bellota and ahead of the Recebo.

Cebo: limited access to fenced land and feeding dependent on market supply, lowest ranking in terms of taste.

100% Iberico pork

Iberian pigs with a pure bloodline are called "100% Iberian." This black breed is primarily bred in the (south)west of Spain and is relatively light-skinned.

For commercial reasons, it is sometimes crossed with the heavier Duroc breed. This gives breeders an impure breed, but also results in more kilos of pork to sell. Through an official pedigree, the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture closely monitors the purity of the bloodlines. 100% purity is considered the highest quality.

Originating from specific regions

Well-known places where these hams are produced include several villages in Extremadura, including Pedroches, known for hams made from 100% Iberian breed pigs; Guijuelo in the province of Salamanca; and Jabugo in the province of Huelva, in the Andalusian region. Spain has many of these "small" villages whose entire economy depends on this unique pig. The Iberian pork from Discovermeat.be's parent company, Distri Carne, comes from the renowned BEHER farm in the town of Guijuelo.

Preparation and maturation

After slaughter, the ham (front or hind leg) is rubbed with salt and then hung to dry. The slow drying process takes 7 to 8 months. During the drying process, the ham loses approximately 30% of its original weight. These hams are then aged for 12 to 36 months in cellars with high humidity where a specific microculture of mold is present. This prolonged and specific preparation process creates the unique flavor.

So Pata Negra is…

A Spanish matured ham from a 100% purebred Iberian pig that ate only acorns and grasses in free range during the last phase of its life.