Discover the secrets behind Spain's Iberian delicacies

Iberian cuisine is synonymous with Spanish gastronomy, and an essential part of the nation’s food culture. 

Jabugo, in the southwest, Guijuelo, in the west and Los Pedroches, to the south are three of Spain’s four Protected Denominations of Origin of Iberian ham. These regions are home to the secrets of Iberian ham, sausages and cuts of meat.

Spain’s native Iberico pigs are raised in stunning holm oak-tree grasslands. In the vast landscape, fallen acorns carpet the ground in autumn and winter - which means a feast for the pigs when September arrives. 

“The Iberian pig is often referred to as the happy pig, not only in terms of animal welfare but also because it enjoys the pastures, the grass and above all the acorns," said Juan Antonio Ballesteros, the International Director of Cooperativa Ganadera del Valle de Los Pedroches (COVAP). 

These hungry pigs can walk several kilometres in search of the sweetest acorns. Exercise and natural pastures mean leaner meat with healthy fats.

“The most important time of the year is called montanera. From September to November, the animals walk 12 to 14 kilometres a day, and they graze on acorns and grass all day long,"  Juan Antonio Ballesteros told Euronews.

The region of Jabugo is one of the most renowned areas for Iberian ham, whose origins, as with many salty dishes, come from the need to preserve the meat. 

Cinco Jotas has been producing it for 140 years, but the curing process hasn’t changed.

"Here each piece of ham is unique. It comes from a pig that has lived in free-range conditions, which has its own individual behaviour, each one behaves in a unique way... hence the craftsmanship behind the production of Iberian ham," explained María Castro Bermúdez, the communication director at