Imagine that you are interested in buying a Serrano ham and they have recommended the one that comes from a particular locality. At the time of purchase, how will you know that it actually comes from that site?
Or suppose you are interested in an acorn-fed Iberico pork shoulder, and you want to know if during its preparation they adhered to the traditional methods that guarantee the quality you expect from it. How do you make sure that these methods have been followed?
These are important questions, because for the producer it is essential to place the fruit of laborious work on the market, and the consumer has the right to acquire precisely the authentic product he wants.
For this reason, for cured hams there are regimes that guarantee the quality and authenticity of the product. These are the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO), the Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) and the Guaranteed Traditional Specialty (GTS).
Keep reading so that you know what each of them consists of, and what are their differences when it comes to acquiring quality Iberico or Serrano ham.
What are the DOP, the IGP and the ETG?
These are quality regimes that have been described in Regulation (EC) 1151/2012, of the European Parliament and of the Council, dated November 21, 2012, and apply to agricultural and food products. Of course, cured hams made in Spain fall into this category.
The Protected Designation of Origin (PDO, DOP in Spanish) identifies a ham that originates from a particular geographic region, and whose characteristics (flavor, color and texture) and quality are due to factors specific to that region. In Spain we have 5 PDOs, 4 for Iberian ham and 1 for Serrano Ham, the Teruel Ham. In the case of the PDO, all stages of ham production had to take place in the place of origin. A clear case of Iberian ham with PDO is that of the Acorn-fed 100% Iberico Ham PDO Los Pedroches.
On the other hand, a ham with Protected Geographical Indication (IGP in Spanish) is also one that comes from a defined region. It is also specified that this origin is a determining factor for the product to obtain the characteristics that distinguish it. In this case, at least one of the stages of the production process must have taken place in the region of origin. We have two; IGP Jamón de Trevélez and Jamón de Serón, both in the Alpujarra. One belonging to the province of Granada and the other to Almería respectively.
Finally, the Guaranteed Traditional Specialty (ETG in Spanish) defines those hams that have been made with traditional ingredients, or following a traditional process for their preparation. It is the hallmark of Serrano ham. Although we have an oral custom of calling them all Serranos, legally they can only be labeled under that name if they bear the ETG certification.
DOP, IGP and ETG hams?
If, for example, you are interested in buying an Iberico cebo ham, you may want to know the differences between these denominations, mainly between the PDO and the PGI, which are very similar.
The main thing is to recognize that the Protected Designation of Origin and the Protected Geographical Indication refer to the fact that it is a shoulder or a cured Spanish ham that comes from a particular locality, and to this it owes its quality and properties. But they differ in the detail that the PDO ham had to be produced entirely in the aforementioned locality, while the one made under IGP only needs one of the stages of the process to have occurred in the region.
For its part, the TSG does not refer to the geographical region from which the ham originates. The important thing in this case is that it is a ham made with traditional procedures.
It is important to note that the acronyms PDO, IGP or ETG do not indicate that one ham is better than another; only that it complies with one or another regulation. Any of these products will be an excellent choice, depending on your taste.
Online Spanish hams with PDO, PGI and ETG.
At Jamón Pasión we have a complete selection of natural hams with Protected Designation of Origin, Protected Geographical Identification or Guaranteed Traditional Specialty, all of excellent quality, and among which you can choose the one that best suits your taste.
With complete confidence, you can communicate with us by phone or in writing, and we will gladly be at your disposal to clarify what you want to know about our assortment of excellent quality hams and pork shoulders.
You can also know the variety of products in our online ham store, where you will also find excellent cheap prices, since we sell without intermediaries.