Jamón serrano (literally sierra (mountain) ham) is a dry-cured Spanish ham, which is generally served raw in thin slices, similar to the Italian prosciutto. A foreleg prepared (and eaten) in the same manner is called paleta. This word can easily be mistaken for a girls Christian name, and has been heard that way on various occasions. ... In polymer chemistry and process engineering, curing refers to the toughening or hardening of a polymer material by cross-linking of polymer chains, brought about by chemical additives, ultraviolet radiation or heat. ... For other meanings of ham or Ham, see Ham (disambiguation). ... Prosciutto is a dry-cured ham from central and northern Italy. ...

The fresh hams are trimmed and cleaned, then stacked and covered with salt for about two weeks in order to draw off excess moisture and preserve the meat from spoiling. The salt is then washed off and the hams are hung to dry for about six months. Finally, the hams are hung in a cool, dry place for six to eighteen months, depending on the climate, as well as the size and type of ham being cured. The drying sheds (secaderos) are usually built at higher elevations, which is why the ham is called mountain ham.

The highest quality, pata negra (literally black hoof), which only accounts for about five percent of the total production, however, is made from black Iberian pigs (cerdo ibérico), range fed and fattened on acorns in the cork oak groves along the southern half of the border between Spain and Portugal. The large majority of hams in the marketplace are derived from white pigs, i.e. Large White, Landrace, or Duroc strains and crosses. Binomial name Sus scrofa Linnaeus, 1758 The domestic pig is usually given the scientific name Sus scrofa, though some authors call it , reserving for the wild boar. ... ACORN, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, is the largest community organization of low and moderate-income families in the United States. ... Binomial name Quercus suber L. The Cork Oak (Quercus suber) is a medium sized, evergreen oak tree in the section Quercus sect. ... Landrace refers to a race of animals or plants ideally suited for the land (environment) in which they live and, in some cases, work; they often develop naturally with minimal assistance or guidance from humans (or from humans using traditional rather than modern breeding methods), hence are usually older, less...

See also

• ham, particulary the section on Spain