Do you really know what a Reserva or Gran Reserva Serrano ham is? These designations refer to the curing time of the Serrano ham and all this is related to the size of the piece, which, the heavier it is, the more curing time it needs. I give you all the details in this article so that when it comes to buying a Serrano ham, you can make your decision without complications.
Types of Spanish Serrano ham
The first thing you should know is that a Serrano ham is always obtained from pigs of white breeds, including the Duroc breed, although their coat is darker and they may, not always, have black hooves.
Spanish Serrano hams have leaner meat than Iberian hams, both superficial and intramuscular fat.
There are people who prefer a softer meat, without so much power and without the infiltrated fat that gives that peculiar texture and flavour to the Iberian ham, which can be very intense. It all depends on the consumer's preferences.
There are basically three types of Serrano ham: Bodega Ham, Reserva Ham and Gran Reserva Ham and they refer to the maturation time of the piece and are associated with the weight of the ham.
In our online Spanish ham store, we only offer Reserva and Gran Reserva to guarantee the longest possible maturation.
Reserva Serrano Ham
The Reserva Serrano ham, by law, must be matured for a minimum of 12 months to guarantee the quality of the product and that the whole piece is in an optimum state of curing. Once cured, these hams weigh between 6.5 and 8 kg.
Reserva shoulders, which can weigh between 4 and 6 kg, must be cured for a minimum of 7 months.
At Jamón Pasión, both the Spanish hams and the shoulders are cured in natural drying sheds in the high mountains and are cured longer than the established minimum.
Gran Reserva Serrano Ham
The main difference of the Gran Reserva Serrano ham is the maturation time, which by law must be at least 15 months and the pieces are usually marketed from 8 kg onwards.
Logically, as they are heavier, they need more time to mature, which also gives the Serrano ham a better balance of flavour, aroma and texture.
The price per kg is only slightly higher than a Reserva ham, almost the same, but as they are heavier, the total price is higher.
The Gran Reserva shoulder hams, which are the only ones we offer in our online shop, together with the Duroc hams, the latter of an even higher category, must be cured for a minimum of 9 months.
Buy Serrano ham
Whether you choose a Serrano Reserva or Gran Reserva ham, success is guaranteed, although it is always preferable to buy hams from 8kg upwards, as they will be more balanced in all aspects.
At Jamón Pasión, one of our most popular products are the Trevélez Serrano hams, hams with PGI (Protected Geographical Identification) produced in the Sierra Nevada National Park, and the Gran Reserva "Señorío de las Cumbres" Spanish ham, both 100% natural, without any type of preservative, just ham and sea salt.