Jambon de Bayonne – the King of French Cured Ham
The Culinary Culture of a Classic Basque Food.
Oct 9, 2008
......the only thing Bayonne is better known for is its ham.
The secret to the particular taste of Bayonne Ham is in the salting and curing process and it has a lot to do with its geographical location.
The famous branded stamp of the ham has long been protected by a European IGP (indication geographique protégée) which guarantees that the ham is sourced from one of 8 approved breeds of pigs whose zone of origin, feeding regime and slaughter are all carefully monitored. But it also guarantees that the curing exclusively takes place within the Adour river basin where the weather conditions are particularly well suited to curing ham.
The Adour basin is caught between the sea and the mountains – bounded on the west by the Atlantic Ocean, on the south by the Pyrenees and on the north and east by the River Adour. It is alternatively influenced by the dry southerly wind (the "foehn") coming off the mountains and the moist thermals rolling in from the sea. This causes wide variations in humidity levels and offers alternating periods in which the ham dehydrates and humidifies. This helps the slow maturing and ensures the characteristic Jambon de Bayonne tenderness
The other defining characteristic of the ham is the salting process which uses salt only from Salies du Bearn where for centuries the salt has been panned directly from the River Adour
Traditional Secrets. How to cure a Bayonne hamCuring: Traditionally the pigs are slaughtered at the end of October and the fresh hams are rubbed with a thick layer of salt
Settling: The hams are then suspended in a room which creates the right wintry conditions for low-temperature drying. Temperature is the key and a constant of 6-8degrees is vital for this initial preserving process
Drying: The hams are then hung in the main drying room, where the long maturing process begins, gradually optimizing flavour, aroma, and tenderness.
Pannage: Towards the end of January the hams are taken down and a mixture of pork fat and flour is applied to the muscular parts of the ham which will make the drying process slower and allow the ham to retain a little of it’s moisture. During this long drying process some ham aficionados will rub wine or Piment d’espelette into the skin to give their hams a distinctive taste.
The ham is then left to mature. The average period of time required to make a Jambon de Bayonne is around 9 to 10 months, with a minimum of 7. Larger hams can take up to a year. Only after this minimum period can the ham receives it’s authentification stamp
Hamming it up! Foire au Jambon
For over 500 years there has been a Bayonne Ham fair on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. Stalls line the banks of the River Nive and the old part of the town is taken over with degustations and demonstrations. If you want to order the ham direct from France there are several internet sites offering both slices and whole hams, Rayon Basque is one of the best for a range of traditional regional products.
RECIPES
The simplicity of a slice of ham and melon has made this starter into a classic French dish but here in the Basque country there is a well know Bearn proverb: ‘Lou jambou de partout que le bou’ which translates as ham is good with everything So for a selection of traditional recipes such as Jambon de Bayonne chiffonade or Xamango then you can visit (either in person or online) the small ham museum La Maison Jambon de Bayonne for tastings and further information.
