Can you jamon aficionados out there tell the difference between the two hams? If you had a blind taste test,would you get it right every time?

Does anyone want to share their thoughts and experiences with beloved jamon?

The jambon serrano is done from the rear feets of the white pig, common all over Spain, and raise in an industrial manner. THE jambon Ibérico is only from the iberian black pig ,sometimes refer to as Pata Negra or black foot/The very best creme de la creme are the jamon ibéricos de bellota or acorn running up and down the border with Portugal regions.

If you like ham ,and I do, yes you can tell the difference ,the odor is sweeter and more pungeant , and the skin more crustier. They are very good for health as disminish cholesterol levels ,and the most expensive.

hamely submitted

I have trouble telling "the lesser hams" apart but going from Jamón Serrano to Jamón de Bellota I can say that after a few hours of eating Jamón Serrano I'm deathly thirsty. After the Jamón de Bellota, I'm not. I'll guess they use less (??) salt for curing? Not sure, but the jamón de bellota can nearly melt in your mouth whereas the jamón serrano is chewier and (often) drier.

Our message board buddy Steve Robinson has a good story about buying a half-kilo of Jamón de Bellota and getting a half-kilo of lacón for free, all at a very good price. About a month ago, when I bought jamón de bellota last, it was about 120 Euros/kilo. Usually, one-quarter kilo is more than enough for me and goes a long way among two people, even among three persons if you have other "embutidos" to eat.

Ham Lover, MadridMan

That offer´s still going MM although they may have moved it from the Bellota to a high end Serrano ( still great value )I´ll report back on that tomorrow when I go there ! So I told my room mate ( Peruvian ) that he´s going to have half a kilo of lacón to use for christmas ( It doesn´t travel well , unlike the Jamón ) . Luckily he has a great Argentinian girl ( I met her in summer , she lives in Switzerland ) , and a Spanish friend coming to stay at our apartment . Plenty of willing mouths to fill . The lacón is great if you cook it for breakfast as a "revuelto" ... delicious !!!

The Lacón, with a little olive oil and paprika( pimentón) sweet and l little spicy,!!!! exquisite!!!

What a great subject! I recently had the same question about tasting the difference between the two jamones and wanted to put myself to the test. I found that I could easily tell the difference between serrano and Iberico. However, the difference between Iberico and Iberico de bellota was not quite as easy to distinguish in a "blind" test. I will say that the bellota was a little stronger in flavor and more buttery in texture. Note to MM: I loved your comment about the saltiness and thirst after "a few hours" of eating jamon serrano! You are a fan! I was also mad-thirsty after my 3 jamon test tasting "research".

Bottom line comment - yes,TeacherTraveler - there is a difference between jamon serrano and Iberico that you could tell in a blind taste test.

After reading this... I'M REALLY HUNGRY.

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I can buy jamon serrano at Costco. I don't know if it is nationwide or not. I made my son a "bocadillo de jamon serrano" recently and he threw away the bread because he said, "Bread ruins it, mom!" I enjoy having it in a bocadillo, but I guess I've raised a "purist"

Hahhaa... Good story, teachertraveler8! Now try the same thing with your son an a bocadillo de jamón de jabugo. Actually, I don't think that would be a good idea as bread WOULD SERIOUSLY ruin the flavor of that high-end ham.

Saludos, MadridMan

Once I ate "jamón ibérico". Nowdays, when I see it on TV spots, tears sadly drop over my "bocadillo serrano" (snif).