How an ancient farming system created a modern benchmark for flavour – and why that matters.

All of us know from experience that, in this current economy, diners have
become more selective about where and how they spend. That means that the
idea of “value” has evolved. People need to feel that their money is being spent
in ways that offer emotional substance, through experience, impact, or story –
part of this is a renewed focus on ingredients rooted in place and process,
rather than luxury for its own sake.

Jamón Ibérico is an interesting case study, sitting squarely in that space. Long
celebrated in Europe and beyond, it’s a product that can teach us a lot about
how provenance, sustainability, and flavour interconnect — and why those links
are becoming increasingly important across the industry.
Diners want to know where ingredients come from, but also how they’re made
— what kind of landscape, culture, and care sit behind them. For restaurants,
this isn’t about storytelling as marketing, but about showing that each detail,
each moment of heritage and care, is fundamental to the flavour on the plate.

Sustainability Beyond the Label

Acorn-fed Jamón Ibérico is produced exclusively from the Ibérico pig, an
ancestral breed that roams freely through holm oak forests and feeds on
acorns within the dehesa ecosystem. These animals, raised in freedom
and in harmony with their environment, give rise to the acorn-fed
products that represent the most exclusive category in the Ibérico world.
The dehesa — a mosaic of oak woodland and pasture — is one of
Europe’s oldest agroforestry systems. It supports wildlife, captures
carbon, and sustains rural economies, with the pigs acting as an integral
part of the landscape rather than an intrusion into it. As they forage, they
help regenerate the land, dispersing seeds, aerating and fertilising soil,
and coexisting with the local flora and fauna to maintain this delicate,
centuries-old balance.

It’s a quietly efficient ecosystem that predates our modern sustainability
language, but answers many of its questions. The relationship between land,
animal, and product is direct, circular, and visible — the opposite of extractive
agriculture.

That visibility matters more than ever. For chefs and suppliers, ingredients like
Jamón Ibérico highlight how environmental responsibility can exist not as
branding but as practice, built into production from the start.

Flavour as Evidence
Jamón Ibérico is remarkable to eat not because it’s expensive or rare, but
because its flavour tells you exactly how it was made. The slow curing, the
acorn-fed diet, the controlled salt — it all adds up to a complexity that doesn’t
need embellishment.

Served simply, it’s complete in itself. But its depth also makes it useful in
cooking: the rendered fat can enrich sauces, the trimmings can deepen stocks
or dressings, and a small amount can transform a base for pasta, rice, or XO
sauce. It’s a reminder that great ingredients don’t just sit on the plate — they
build flavour foundations elsewhere too.

What It Represents
In a period when efficiency and volume dominate so much of food production,
Jamón Ibérico stands as a model of the opposite: slowness, specificity, and
interdependence. It shows what happens when an entire ecosystem — human
and non-human — evolves together over time.
For those working in hospitality, it’s less about the ham itself and more about
what it represents: a set of principles that value long-term thinking, biodiversity,
and care as parts of craft.
That’s the kind of quality people are noticing now — not in grand gestures, but
in quiet integrity.

The Recipes

Following our industry lunch, co-hosted by Jamon Iberico, we are delighted to
share some recipes from chef Omar Allibhoy, which put Jamón Ibérico to the
fore.

CONFIT TOMATO AND JAMÓN IBÉRICO ON TOAST

Serves 2

Ingredients
• 12 cherry tomatoes, halved
• 60g Jamón Ibérico, sliced
• 2 slices rustic bread
• 2 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
• 1 garlic clove
• Salt, to taste

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 160°C. Place the tomato halves on a baking tray,
cut side up. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with thyme leaves and a
pinch of salt. Roast for 45 minutes until the tomatoes are soft,
concentrated, and slightly caramelized.
2. Toast the bread slices until golden and crisp. Rub each slice with the
cut side of the garlic clove for a subtle aroma.
3. Arrange the confit tomatoes on the toasted bread. Top with slices of
Jamón Ibérico and drizzle with any remaining olive oil from the tray.

PEACH, BURRATA AND JAMÓN IBÉRICO SALAD
Serves 2

Ingredients
• 2 ripe peaches, sliced
• 1 burrata cheese, torn
• 60g Jamón Ibérico, sliced
• 80g rocket leaves
• Fresh basil leaves
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• Salt, to season

Method
1. Arrange the rocket leaves on two plates as a base. Add the peach
slices evenly, followed by torn burrata pieces and Jamón Ibérico
slices.
2. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Season lightly with salt.
Garnish with fresh basil leaves for aroma and color. Serve
immediately for best freshness.

MELON CARPACCIO WITH JAMÓN IBÉRICO

Serves 2

Ingredients
• 1 cantaloupe melon, peeled
• 3 slices Jamón Ibérico
• 20g Jamón Ibérico, diced (for vinaigrette)
• 1 tbsp Jamón fat, diced
• 1 tbsp sherry vinegar
• 20g hazelnuts, chopped
• 1 tbsp chives, finely chopped

Method

1. Using a mandoline, slice the melon into paper-thin rounds. Arrange
the slices in an overlapping spiral pattern on chilled plates for an
elegant presentation.
2. In a small saucepan, gently fry the diced Jamón fat and chopped
hazelnuts over low heat until golden and crispy. Remove from heat
and let cool slightly.
3. In a bowl, whisk together the diced Jamón, crispy fat, hazelnuts,
chives, and sherry vinegar to create a rich vinaigrette.
4. Top the melon carpaccio with Jamón Ibérico slices and drizzle
generously with the vinaigrette.