Protected Denomination of Origin of Teruel

Several publications back then we talked about Denominationsof Origin, and we saidthat they are a classification that is used to legally protect some products such as ham. What they include is the area of production and the traditional methods used in it. For the consumer, they guarantee a constant level of quality and specific characteristics.

We have explained in detail the Protected Denominationsof Origin of Iberian ham in Spain, and today we are going to focus on the only one we currently find in white ham: the Protected Designation of Origin of Teruel.

The hams of this Designation of Origin are obtained from hind of pigs born and fattened in the defined geographical area, from crosses between:

• Mother line: Landrace (standard type), Large White or crossover.
• Parent line: Landrace (standard type) or Duroc.

Characteristics of the hams

The hams are elongated in shape and rounded at their edges until the muscle appears, keeping the leg; they may be presented with the whole rind or shaped in a‘V’ cut, whosevertex is located at the midpoint of the ham’s mace. They weigh between 8 and 9 kg and never less than 7 kg.  

Its cut colour is red and shiny, with partially infiltratedfat in the muscle mass. The meat has a delicate, slightly salty taste, and the fat is yellowish or white in colour, with a creamy, shiny, aromatic consistency and a pleasant taste.

The salting, washing, settling and drying of the hams takes a minimum of 8 months, while the maturing process, carried out in warehouses or cellars, takes a minimum of 12 months.

Geographical area

The production and preparation area comprises the entire territory of the Province of Teruel, in the Autonomous Community of Aragon.