5 ms·

If there's fury in Spain, certainly I'm not aware, first time hearing about this. I doubt they can get it right, even here in Spain most jamón sold is not ibéri

If there's fury in Spain, certainly I'm not aware, first time hearing about this. I doubt they can get it right, even here in Spain most jamón sold is not ibérico de bellota but just ibérico, or not even that. You have the classification here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jam%C3%B3n_ib%C3%A9rico#Commercial_grading_and_labeling https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jam%C3%B3n_ib%C3%A9rico#Commer... The difference with the real thing (black label) is night and day. This will possible be a passable "jamón ibérico" like the one you can buy here in the supermarket, this is, the pigs are from the ibérico race but they are not fed the traditional way. It's not bad but trust me, at least once get yourself a true black-label "100% ibérico de bellota", if it can be imported into the US.

krull10 6y ago
You can get bellota in the US but it is much more expensive than in Spain. Still delicious though. I think it is only in recent years that it was allowed for import though.
- iagovar 6y ago
  Can't you buy and import from Spain? Or there may be little stores with stock in cities.
  - otterley 6y ago
    US import regulations make it extremely difficult to import non-canned meat products from foreign countries. IIRC, the foreign producer has to allow USDA inspectors on site.
  - masklinn 6y ago
    The FDA and USDA make it rather difficult to import food in the US.
  - 13of40 6y ago
    You can buy it at Costco: https://www.foodbeast.com/news/costco-iberico-ham/ https://www.foodbeast.com/news/costco-iberico-ham/ "Produced in the Valle de los Pedroches, a region in Southern Spain, the ham is from Iberico Breed pigs that are fed a vegetarian diet of acorn and grass and raised free-range..."
    - iagovar 6y ago
      I bought a whole leg maybe twice in my life. Most people here buys sliced jamón, so it's affordable that way.
peteradio 6y ago
I suspect Texas in particular would do very well at copying the traditional feed, there are loads of Oaks and Chestnuts.
chongli 6y ago
If there's fury in Spain Also I would add that it's completely disingenuous to describe this operation as "US Plans" as though this were some sinister plot by the US Federal Government to destroy the market for this beloved Spanish meat product. This is a pair of ventures which have been undertaken by Spanish-American farmers. These farmers are completely within their rights to raise pigs this way. As long as they don't call it jamón ibérico de bellota, they should be fine.
- garmaine 6y ago
  > As long as they don't call it jamón ibérico de bellota, they should be fine. Why? In the USA that should be allowed, I believe. They just wouldn’t be able to export with that labeling.
  - chipsa 6y ago
    Depends on whether the organization that approves the labeling has a trademark on it. If it's a trademarked phrase, you can't sell it with that label at all.
hourislate 6y ago
All I would say is that Texas raises some of the best beef in the world (Grass Fed Organic Beef Cattle). They also have a world renown Agricultural University (Texas A&M). There is plenty of experience in Animal husbandry and no shortage of resources including Acorns, there are probably millions of Oaks throughout Texas. If they choose to they will be able to make black-label as good as any.
- sixQuarks 6y ago
  What do you mean by “best”? I’ve never tasted Texas beef that even comes close to the flavor of Argentinian or Brazilian beef.
  - axaxs 6y ago
    Texas is a huge state, of course there's a bit of everything. You can absolutely find some of the best beef in the world there. You can also find some so-so, or even bad beef. I don't think OP's statement is wrong, but also shouldn't be read as 'all beef from Texas is best'. Same with Brazil and Argentina, I'm sure.
  - hourislate 6y ago
    >I’ve never tasted Texas beef that even comes close to the flavor of Argentinian or Brazilian beef. That's too bad. Where are you shopping? An example of 1 of 1000's of small ranches scattered through out the state. Even the Grocery stores carry local grass fed beef that is incredibly affordable and absolutely delicious. https://zbarcattle.com/ https://zbarcattle.com/ The breed of cattle https://zbarcattle.com/pages/our-cattle https://zbarcattle.com/pages/our-cattle
    - sixQuarks 6y ago
      OK, I wanna try the best Texas beef, maybe I haven't tried good ones. I tried to order their prime ribeye, but it's sold out. Can you recommend some other places where I can purchase and get it shipped?
  - User23 6y ago
OldHand2018 6y ago
> I doubt they can get it right, even here in Spain most jamón sold is not ibérico de bellota but just ibérico, or not even that. The best producers in Spain have very little to worry about as long as they continue to produce a high-quality product. It's the others that have to worry - selling a mediocre product internationally at a high price. These farmers in the US are certainly aiming at them and their profit margin. Someday, they may be able to produce a product on par with the best of Spain. But then they will just join the club rather than push the Spanish producers out of business.

krull10 6y ago

You can get bellota in the US but it is much more expensive than in Spain. Still delicious though. I think it is only in recent years that it was allowed for import though.

iagovar 6y ago
Can't you buy and import from Spain? Or there may be little stores with stock in cities.
- otterley 6y ago
  US import regulations make it extremely difficult to import non-canned meat products from foreign countries. IIRC, the foreign producer has to allow USDA inspectors on site.
- masklinn 6y ago
  The FDA and USDA make it rather difficult to import food in the US.
- 13of40 6y ago
  You can buy it at Costco: https://www.foodbeast.com/news/costco-iberico-ham/ https://www.foodbeast.com/news/costco-iberico-ham/ "Produced in the Valle de los Pedroches, a region in Southern Spain, the ham is from Iberico Breed pigs that are fed a vegetarian diet of acorn and grass and raised free-range..."
  - iagovar 6y ago
    I bought a whole leg maybe twice in my life. Most people here buys sliced jamón, so it's affordable that way.

peteradio 6y ago

I suspect Texas in particular would do very well at copying the traditional feed, there are loads of Oaks and Chestnuts.

chongli 6y ago

If there's fury in Spain Also I would add that it's completely disingenuous to describe this operation as "US Plans" as though this were some sinister plot by the US Federal Government to destroy the market for this beloved Spanish meat product. This is a pair of ventures which have been undertaken by Spanish-American farmers. These farmers are completely within their rights to raise pigs this way. As long as they don't call it jamón ibérico de bellota, they should be fine.

garmaine 6y ago
> As long as they don't call it jamón ibérico de bellota, they should be fine. Why? In the USA that should be allowed, I believe. They just wouldn’t be able to export with that labeling.
- chipsa 6y ago
  Depends on whether the organization that approves the labeling has a trademark on it. If it's a trademarked phrase, you can't sell it with that label at all.

hourislate 6y ago

All I would say is that Texas raises some of the best beef in the world (Grass Fed Organic Beef Cattle). They also have a world renown Agricultural University (Texas A&M). There is plenty of experience in Animal husbandry and no shortage of resources including Acorns, there are probably millions of Oaks throughout Texas. If they choose to they will be able to make black-label as good as any.

sixQuarks 6y ago
What do you mean by “best”? I’ve never tasted Texas beef that even comes close to the flavor of Argentinian or Brazilian beef.
- axaxs 6y ago
  Texas is a huge state, of course there's a bit of everything. You can absolutely find some of the best beef in the world there. You can also find some so-so, or even bad beef. I don't think OP's statement is wrong, but also shouldn't be read as 'all beef from Texas is best'. Same with Brazil and Argentina, I'm sure.
- hourislate 6y ago
  >I’ve never tasted Texas beef that even comes close to the flavor of Argentinian or Brazilian beef. That's too bad. Where are you shopping? An example of 1 of 1000's of small ranches scattered through out the state. Even the Grocery stores carry local grass fed beef that is incredibly affordable and absolutely delicious. https://zbarcattle.com/ https://zbarcattle.com/ The breed of cattle https://zbarcattle.com/pages/our-cattle https://zbarcattle.com/pages/our-cattle
  - sixQuarks 6y ago
    OK, I wanna try the best Texas beef, maybe I haven't tried good ones. I tried to order their prime ribeye, but it's sold out. Can you recommend some other places where I can purchase and get it shipped?
- User23 6y ago

OldHand2018 6y ago

> I doubt they can get it right, even here in Spain most jamón sold is not ibérico de bellota but just ibérico, or not even that. The best producers in Spain have very little to worry about as long as they continue to produce a high-quality product. It's the others that have to worry - selling a mediocre product internationally at a high price. These farmers in the US are certainly aiming at them and their profit margin. Someday, they may be able to produce a product on par with the best of Spain. But then they will just join the club rather than push the Spanish producers out of business.