If you are going to buy an Iberico ham, it is because perhaps you have already tried it before. You may have noticed that they have little white dots on the surface.
About these crsitalizations, much has been said, and it is logical that they provoke numerous speculations. Will it be bad for my consumption? Will it be an indicator of quality? What are they, and where do they come from? We clarify all these doubts and describe them in this article.
At first glance, the dots seem to be the remains of small grains of salt that acorn-fed Iberico ham has, after it has undergone a salting and curing process. But it's not like that; it's not about salt.
Keep reading so that you know what these "crystals" that the product has are about, and thus you will make a good purchase of both ham and Iberico pork shoulder.
How do the white dots appear on an Iberico Ham?
They are crystals of tyrosine, a non-essential amino acid derived from proteins that are synthesized from phenylalanine. This amino acid is one of the 20 non-essential that are known as a natural protein synthesis.
So, if when you go to buy a pata negra ham, you notice that many of them have these little dots, this only implies that these hams are perfect for consumption. It is a result of its own preparation.
If the white dots or tyrosine are present in the ham, this does not indicate in any way that the Iberian ham has more or less quality. It is Iberian ham and the quality is the same. The crystals may or may not be present independently.
Tyrosine in Jamon Iberico.
The presence of tyrosine in the Iberian pork ham or shoulder denotes that the healing process has been done and also in a very good way. For this reason they do not indicate any degradation or poor quality in the product. On the contrary, it is the natural process due to its artisanal and traditional elaboration, although they do not have to be always present.
A long, natural and manual process that intensifies the flavor of Spanish ham for tasting.
Its presence indicates the pH of the ham and is a guarantee of a long curing process that has developed in optimal conditions.
High concentrations of this amino acid in ham can cause the appearance of tyrosine veils. This is especially good when tasting an Iberico cebo ham.
We must not confuse tyrosine with thyroxine, which is a human hormone that has nothing to do with what we are dealing with.
Now that you know why ham and pork shoulder can have these little white dots, you can stop worrying and enjoy without fear tasting this select product to share at your table with family or guests.
Buy Iberico whole ham with white dots.
These white particles may be present in other products, as in the case of aged cheeses, in which a proper and adequate maturation process has been carried out. So you can enter our online ham shop and choose the ham that you like the most, which, far from looking like it is salt, is a guarantee of a correct and good production process. A ham that had salt so obviously is a sign that the process has not been adequate.
Now you know that it is a non-essential amino acid that comes from a protein that is highly palatable, of good quality and suitable for the nutritional contribution of any person.
If you decide on an acorn-fed Iberico ham, at Jamón Pasión you can buy Iberico pata negra hams as Iberian cebo hams at the best price. Remember that we always send them directly from the factory, so their price will be very interesting, and you can get cheaper spanish hams.