Teruel PDO Ham
Spain’s first ham Designation of Origin
A ham named after its land
In 1984, Teruel Ham became Spain’s first ham Designation of Origin, and it is still the only one for white-breed pigs. Since 1997 it has also been listed in the European register of Protected Designations of Origin.
The whole process stays within the province of Teruel: the pigs are born, raised and slaughtered here, and the hams are cured in drying cellars more than 800 metres above sea level. The Regulatory Council oversees every stage, from farm to label, and only the pieces that pass all its checks may carry the name Teruel.
What the Designation requires
- Duroc cross: the sire is always a Duroc; the dam is Landrace, Large White or a cross of the two. This is where the marbling and juiciness come from.
- Cereal-based feed: at least half of the feed is cereal grown in Teruel or the neighbouring provinces.
- Pigs raised without hurry, heavier and fattier than a conventional white pig, which allows for long curing.
- Just enough salt: the dry, cold mountain air makes it possible to cure with very little salt. The result is a mild, almost sweet ham.
- At least 14 months of curing and a minimum weight of 7 kg per ham.
How to recognise genuine Teruel Ham
Not every ham cured in Teruel is Teruel PDO Ham. These are the signs that guarantee it:
- The eight-pointed star with the word Teruel, branded on the rind.
- The numbered tag of the Regulatory Council, sealed around the hoof.
- The hoof: a whole ham always keeps it. A ham that fails any check has its foot cut off and loses the Designation.
- The numbered back label on boneless, diced or sliced ham.
Each ham also carries a traceability code that tracks its journey, right back to the farm it came from.
Our Teruel PDO Ham
We produce and cure all of it in our drying cellar in Monreal del Campo, 940 metres above sea level, in the heart of the “Cold Triangle”. After salting and resting in cold rooms, the ham moves to the natural drying cellar and cures with the seasons: winter dries it slowly with little salt, and summer warmth lets the fat melt into the lean.
That is why we go beyond what the Designation requires: our hams cure for at least 20 months. We sell them under our Sierra Lindón brand.
Our work has been recognised with two awards at the National Quality Competition in Calamocha (Teruel), in 1999 and 2002.
Cold as an ingredient. In Teruel the cold arrives a little later every year, but it always arrives. It lets us cure slowly, with just enough salt.