World's Best Ham by PataNegra.dk

In a world that seems to move faster with every heartbeat, there are still a few places where patience is seen as a gift — where time isn’t a limit but a quiet ingredient. One of those places is the French Dry Ham Academy, or L’Académie Française des Jambons Secs (AFJS) — a kind of haven where the simple craft of curing meat turns into something almost poetic. A Legacy Born from Passion Founded in 2015 at the World Congress of Dry-Cured Ham in Toulouse, the Academy originated as a friendship among three visionaries: Professor Jesús Ventanas from Spain, Naoto Watanabe from Japan, and Armand Touzanne from France. United by their shared love for the delicate balance of salt, air, and time, they dreamed of a global community devoted to understanding the deeper meaning of dry-cured ham. What started as an idea soon grew into a movement — one that honours the old ways while nurturing the next generation of artisans. Where Craft Meets Knowledge The Academy isn’t just about tasting — it’s mor...

Every autumn, when the golden oaks of Córdoba’s dehesa start shedding their acorns, the town of Villanueva de Córdoba comes alive with the rich aroma of cured ham. It’s the unmistakable sign that the Feria del Jamón Ibérico de Bellota de Los Pedroches has returned — and this year marks its 25th anniversary, a true milestone for Andalusian gastronomy. A Quarter Century of Flavor For locals, the fair isn’t just an event — it’s a celebration of identity, heritage, and the land that gives life to Spain’s most prized ham. Since its humble beginnings, the Pedroches Ham Fair has evolved into one of the most respected culinary gatherings in southern Spain, attracting producers, master butchers, and ham enthusiasts from all over the country. This year’s edition takes place from November 6 to 9, 2025, featuring a program filled with new energy and a few surprises. Organizers decided to centralize all activities in one central location, rather than spreading them across different sites. This new...

Prosciutto San Daniele Prosciutto di San Daniele exemplifies the pinnacle of Italian culinary artistry. It boasts an impressive annual production of over 2.5 million legs and generates a value exceeding €320 million. This renowned ham delights palates worldwide and is a significant economic driver for Italy. Each euro generated by Prosciutto di San Daniele stimulates an additional €2.2 in the national economy, culminating in an overall turnover of over €1.1 billion. In 2024, despite global economic complexities, the Italian agri-food sector achieved remarkable success, with exports nearing €70 billion. This performance solidified Italy's position among the world's leading food exporters. Within this sector, the meat and cured meats industry contributed over €8 billion in added value, representing 11% of the national agri-food total. Prosciutto di San Daniele emerged as the seventh certified Italian product in terms of production value, experiencing a 6.4% increase in volume sol...

The town of Aracena recently hosted the XXVII Regional Fair of Iberian Ham and Pork, a celebration that continues to draw ham lovers from across the region to the heart of the Sierra de Aracena and Picos de Aroche. Held on consecutive weekends from October 18 to 20 and 25 to 27, the fair opened daily from 12 to 8 PM, welcoming hundreds of visitors eager to savor the exquisite flavors of Iberian ham, or pata negra, a culinary gem emblematic of the Sierra de Aracena. This annual event brought together the industry’s leading producers at the Aracena Fairgrounds on Avenida Reina de los Ángeles. Renowned local companies, such as the family-owned Gran Paladar, based in Higuera de la Sierra, showcased various traditional Iberian ham products, including their prized 100% Iberian acorn-fed ham. Carlos Garzón, director of Gran Paladar and founder’s son, expressed excitement about this year’s promising montanera, a critical period when Iberian pigs feed primarily on acorns. Thanks to recent rains...