World's Best Ham by PataNegra.dk

The town of Campillos, usually calm and tucked between farmlands and olive groves, was bursting with life as more than 17,000 visitors poured into its XVII Feria del Jamón y Productos Derivados del Cerdo. Streets around the Parque José María Hinojosa filled early in the morning, with over 50 buses arriving from different parts of Andalucía, proof that this small town has become a significant stop for lovers of jamón and rural flavours. The fair didn’t just beat its own attendance record; it smashed it. By midday, the walkways were so crowded that people joked they were “queuing just to be able to queue.” A Festival Where Jamón Takes Center Stage Though Campillos hosts many traditional events throughout the year, nothing compares to its Jamón Fair. More than 50 companies set up stands offering a wide range of products, including hams and chorizos, olives, olive oil, pastries, and eco-friendly items. Visitors wandered from stall to stall, tasting, chatting, and filling bags with local d...

Spain’s Pata Negra, long celebrated as the world’s best ham, is at the centre of a legal battle in France. French authorities have brought charges against three local meat companies — Casa Ramon, ABG Holding, and Comptoir du Pata Negra — for allegedly marketing ham as “pata negra” or “bellota” when it didn’t meet the strict Spanish standards. The trial, set to take place in the Val-de-Marne criminal court near Paris, could result in fines of up to 1.5 million euros or even 10% of the companies’ average turnover over the past three years. A Matter of Authenticity In Spain, “pata negra” refers to the highest-quality ibérico ham, produced from 100% ibérico pigs, acorn-fed, and aged to perfection. But when products cross borders, Spanish certification alone does not automatically hold legal weight. Previous rulings in France have concluded that Spanish definitions of “pata negra” do not have effect in French law, creating a grey area that unscrupulous sellers have sometimes exploited. Fre...