352 Chapter 20
carefully controlled under the Consortium
specifi cations, since these hams have a PDO.
Processing time may take 12 months or
longer. Italian San Daniele hams also have a
PDO and are produced in the northeast of
Italy in a minimum of 12 months.Hams in Northern Europe
Hams in northern Europe are usually pro-
cessed for shorter times than Mediterranean
hams and are smoked and cooked before con-
sumption. Some examples are the Fenal â r
ham, which is produced from lamb or mutton
in Norway. Another Norwegian ham is the
Spekeskinke ham, which is ripened for 12 or
more months (Haseth et al. 2007 ). Other tra-
ditional European hams are the German
Westphalian ham, the Katenschinken (cold
smoked ham), and the Finnish “ sauna ” hams.Hams in America
American hams, known as country - style
hams or country hams, are salted and post -
salted and then aged for about 1 month and
then smoked. These hams are typically con-intense fl avor of the product (Toldr á et al.
1996 ; Carrapiso et al. 2003 ; Cava et al. 2004 ).
The four PDOs of Iberian ham in Spain
are Dehesa de Extremadura, Guijuelo, los
Pedroches, and Jabugo. An Iberian ham
ready for consumption is shown in Figure
20.1. Spanish Serrano hams are produced
throughout Spain from standard light pigs,
mostly intensively reared. These hams are
produced in one - half to 2 years, depending
on the fi nal quality of the ham, which has
three levels: reserva, gran reserva, and
bodega. Other good - quality hams are pro-
duced under the PDO Teruel, from rustic pigs
and under strict processing conditions of the
Consortium, or the TSG of Tr é velez.
Corsican hams are produced in Corsica
(France) from autochthonous heavy pigs bred
in an extensive system and fattened with
chestnuts. The processing may take up to 18
months, but the total production is very short.
Bayonne hams hold a PGI and are produced
in up to 12 months.
Parma hams are produced in the northwest
of Italy from specifi c crossbreeds of white
pigs (basically Landrace and Large White),
slaughtered at about 160 kg live weight. The
raw materials and processing conditions are
Figure 20.1. A typical Spanish Iberian ham as an entire piece.