World's Best Ham by PataNegra.dk

Some food stories are built around branding first. This one really doesn't feel like that. Herbae, Cochons Millésimés begins in a much quieter place, in the foothills near the Pyrenees, on the Plateau de Lannemezan, where the landscape still has room to breathe. Grasslands, hedges, bits of woodland, open sky. It is the kind of place that makes sense for slow farming, even before anyone explains it to you. And slow is an important word here. Because Herbae was never meant to be a high-volume operation chasing speed, it grew out of a much more deliberate choice. In 2018, Anouk Martin and Nicolas Touzanne, both trained as agronomists, left Paris and started building a farm around a very different idea of value. Not just selling pork, not just making charcuterie, but working in a way that lets land, seasons, and animal life leave a real mark on the final product. That sounds simple enough. It isn't. A rare breed, and a demanding path Herbae works with Porc Noir de Bigorre, one of ...

Tucked away in the lush foothills of the Pyrenees, between the regions of Hautes-Pyrénées, Gers, and Haute-Garonne, lives an animal that has become both legend and symbol — the Porc Noir de Bigorre . Once nearly wiped out, this small black pig has now become the pride of French gastronomy, producing one of the most precious hams in Europe. A Pig Unlike Any Other At first sight, it’s not what you’d call a “pretty” animal. Its short legs, long snout, and drooping ears give it an awkward, almost prehistoric charm. Covered in black hair, sometimes muddied from rooting through the earth, it’s far from the pink perfection of commercial pigs. But what it lacks in looks, it more than makes up for in flavor. This pig has learned to live in harmony with the rugged landscape. It wanders freely through meadows and forests, feeding on acorns, chestnuts, and wild herbs — a diet that gives its meat a deep, nutty aroma and a texture unlike anything else. A Breed Saved from Extinction A few decades ag...

Pata Negra Ham Carlo Giusti, a visionary agronomist and oenologist, has seamlessly blended his expertise in viticulture with innovative animal breeding practices. At his 500-hectare estate, La Vallata, located in Lajatico, Pisa, Giusti has embarked on a mission to revive endangered breeds and pioneer unique crossbreeds, all while emphasizing sustainability and animal welfare. From Oenology to Animal Breeding Giusti's journey began in a family deeply rooted in the restaurant industry. While his relatives continued in the culinary field, Giusti pursued agronomy and oenology, exploring new terroirs across the globe—from Chile to South Africa, Argentina to California. Despite his international endeavors, Tuscany remained his home base, where his passion for animals, inherited from his father, flourished.  This passion led him to focus on recovering endangered breeds and developing innovative breeding systems that mirror the concept of terroir—emphasizing the significance of diet, envir...