The first day in Spain, I went straight for this treat.  Wandering around El Puerto Del Sol, I stopped in a shop full of hanging meat, smoke and locals.  True to from, I went for the ultra-authentic bocadillo de jamón.

Jamón is a mainstay in the Spanish diet, not to mention a building block of the export economy.  This is nothing like the ham from the deli, or a Christmas ham with cloves.  No, this is sliced thin and its salty meaty flavor is best on its own or with a little bread.

From a previous voyage to San Sebastian, a city in the Basque country of northern Spain, I knew that jamón iberico was delicious, and ubiquitous but I didn’t fully understand its importance.  Now, after a little research, and a long conversation in Spanish that tested my grammatical skills, here’s what I’ve got.

There are three main types of jamón in Spain- Serrano, Iberico, and Jabugo also known as jamón de pata negra. Serrano is the cheapest and the most common.  It has distinct white skin and you’ll find many bars have the entire leg on the counter, slicing it off piece by piece.  Iberico is one step up in quality—a little purer, a little more flavorful.   The purity is based on how the pig, or cerdo was raised, what it ate and how much exercise it got.  Jamón de Pata Negrais the purest and the most expensive. These pigs only eat bellotas, or acorns and are “purebreds.”

I had the opportunity to try a little piece the other day.  Truly, I’ve never had anything like it.  The fat was enchantingly unfamiliar and delivered exceptional flavor, balanced in its salt and depth of meat-i-ness. I asked if I could take a picture of the owner and he asked me how I would pay.  With love, I told him.  He like that.

The different types of jamón are heavily quality controlled. The Ministerio de Agricultura Español, determines the origin of the each ham and analyze its integrity.  The Reglamento Europeo,  (CE) the same organization that protects the flavor and the purity of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese makes sure that Spanish jamón is legally protected from interlopers and copycats.

If you happen to see some Spanish meats at your butcher shop, look to see if the jamón is 5J, a brand that is considered the best in the country, according to my local research.

Writing this makes me hungry…even though I just ate una tortilla con patatas y huevos, muy tradicional!

Hola amigos. Estoy en Madrid y estoy comiendo muchas cosas interestes y deliciosos!

Hello from Madrid.  I’ve been in the city for four days and I’m already eating my way through the city. I’ll be here for the next four months, so keep checking.  When I finally get a daily routine, want to write at least four times a week, marking the most memorable moments.  But first, a few observations in the first hours.

First, eating late is not nearly as difficult as I anticipated. Staying out, however and not getting tired in the middle of the day, is impossible and requires a siesta after lunch or a mega-espresso. Luckily, both are abundant.
Second, the coffee in the morning is simply better here.  I think it is because the milk is unpasteurized. At the Hotel Regina, the hot milk sat right next to the coffee in the same kind of heater. It came out in a thick stream, mixing with the deep brown liquid in my cup with latte-like deliciousness.

Third, it’s difficult not to stop in every single tiny eatery for a bite.  The long legs of ham hanging in the window and the inviting counter tops filled with little plates of cheese, olives and meat call to me….

And fourth, I love that when you sit at the bar and order wine the bar tenders keep handing you little tastes of things, homemade chips, fresh slices of manchego, bright green meaty olives and bite size rosemary sausage.  And that wine? It’s like Switzerland with its budget chocolate that is better than Godiva, the Vino de Casa is (usually) a rioja and always pleases the tongue, placates the wallet and perfectly matches the food.

For now that is all…. so much more to come. But I’ll leave you with this: though these “gambas a la plancha” (grilled shrimp) were nothing to write home about, the pictures turned out really well.