Just like French producers were left with a surplus of foie gras after disappointing holiday sales, Spain is dealing with what the Telegraph calls “an unwanted ham mountain.” Poor ham mountain. It’s partly because lesser producers have entered the business on the back of looser legislation: “The ham market had become saturated by lesser quality products … with about 6.5 million legs of grain-fed Iberian pigs offered on the market in 2009 compared with 1.5 million a decade ago.” Chow looks on the bright side: Tienda is selling bone-in Iberico hams for half-off, so you can now get one for a mere $395 (that’s about $28 per pound — a steal considering they go for $90 per pound at Despaña). But keep in mind, this is not the top-of-the-line, acorn-fed “de bellota” ham — that’s still going to cost you an arm and a, um, leg.
Spain left with ham mountain after poor Christmas sales and economic crisis [Telegraph UK via Chow]
