IBERIAN HAMS
PDO - Protected Denomination of Origin
A Quick Guide to Iberian Hams
Black Label: highest quality, bellota, pata negra, 100%
Red Label: bellota, 50%/75%
Green Label: 50% (normally), free range
White Label: Iberian, 50% (normally)
Learn more about why Iberian hams are one of the World's great delicacies and in such demand in 'The Toma Guide to Iberian Hams'.
Iberico Bellota Ham Leg 100% (8.5Kg)
Prado Bello Jamón de Bellota 100% Ibérico
The Prado Bello bellota ham leg (8.5Kg approx) is a true Spanish delicacy, cured from acorn-fed Iberian pigs for rich flavour and fine texture. You can choose a full leg for traditional carving at home, or opt for the hand-carved, vacuum-packed version by our own jamoneros for convenience. A gourmet classic, perfect for sharing at celebrations or enjoying at home.
Protected Designation of Origin – LOS PEDROCHES
Price range: €484.99 through €514.99
Prado Bello Bellota Ham Leg
The Prado Bello bellota ham leg (8.5Kg) represents one of Spain’s most prized ham traditions, combining Iberian pig heritage with the unique diet of acorns, or bellotas, during the montanera season. This natural feeding, alongside extended curing, delivers complex flavours and aromas that set bellota ham apart from other cured meats. The result is a leg with extraordinary depth, offering a melt-in-the-mouth experience layered with nutty richness, silky fat, and a lasting savoury sweetness.
At approximately 8.5Kg, this ham leg makes a grand centrepiece, whether for special occasions or for those who wish to savour authentic bellota Iberico ham at home over time. Its marbling, derived from the acorn diet, ensures every slice carries a distinctive balance of tenderness and flavour. Praised as one of the pinnacles of Spanish gastronomy, bellota ham is both a culinary treasure and a cultural emblem.
This product is available in two formats depending on your preference. For the traditionalist, the whole uncarved leg presents the ham in its most striking form. Carving directly from the leg allows you to cut ultra-thin slices at home, adjusting the serving style to your taste and enjoying the ritual of preparing ham in the authentic Spanish way. For added convenience, you may choose the carved and vacuum-packed option, in which skilled hands prepare perfect slices that remain fresh and ready to serve. This approach saves both time and effort while preserving the integrity of the ham’s texture and taste.
The Prado Bello bellota ham leg is as versatile as it is luxurious. It is typically served thinly sliced at room temperature, where its full aroma and flavour shine best. It pairs beautifully with Spanish wines such as Reserva Riojas, classic Ribera del Duero reds, or for a traditional Andalusian match, a glass of dry fino or manzanilla sherry. On the table, it needs little accompaniment: rustic bread, a delicate cheese, or simply a drizzle of olive oil is enough to let its unique flavour speak for itself.
Bellota ham is prized for its health benefits as well as its flavour. Thanks to the acorn-rich diet, it contains a higher proportion of oleic acid—similar to that found in olive oil—which is said to support a healthy heart while also delivering a luscious taste. Every slice reflects both care in breeding and artistry in the curing process, which can last several years under carefully monitored conditions.
For celebrations, dinner parties, or as a long-lasting indulgence at home, this bellota ham leg is more than food; it is a direct link to Spain’s rich food heritage and craftsmanship—a taste experience that elevates any gourmet table.
How the Spanish Enjoy Bellota Ham Legs
In Spain, bellota ham is cherished as the crown jewel of cured meats, often reserved for special occasions or as the highlight of social gatherings. Families proudly place the leg on a jamonero (ham stand), steadily carving paper-thin slices for guests throughout the meal. It is traditionally paired with simple accompaniments such as rustic bread or pan con tomate, where bread is gently rubbed with fresh tomato and finished with olive oil.
In Andalusia and Extremadura—the regions where acorn-fed Iberian pigs roam the dehesa oak pastures—the ham is considered both a festive food and a symbol of pride in local tradition. In tapas bars, small raciones of bellota ham are served as the star of the plate, often paired with a fine glass of red wine or sherry. Increasingly, many Spaniards also enjoy the convenience of carved and vacuum-packed bellota ham, which allows them to quickly serve authentic slices at home without carving difficulty, all while retaining the prized flavour.
100% Iberian bellota ham and sea salt.
Gluten Free.
_
| Nutritional Information – per 100 grams | |
|---|---|
| Energy | 1458Kj | 350 Kcal |
| Fats | 23g |
| of which are saturated | 13.1g |
| Carbohydrates | 0.5g |
| of which are sugars | |
| Fibre | 0g |
| Proteins | 35.2g |
| Salt | 2.52g |
Store in a cool dry location and away from direct sunlight.
Typical shelf-life of 6 months in full ham format before carving, and vacuum packed if stored correctly.
Always check package instructions when it arrives for specific information.
Fecha de consumo preferente means best before date, and Fecha de caducidad means expiry date. Date formats on Spanish products are the same as in Ireland, i.e. dd/mm/yyyy.
All cured meats are best served at room temperature so remove from storage location at least 20 minutes before serving.
Produced for:
Makro España,
Paseo Imperial 40
28005 Madrid
Spain
| Weight | N/A |
|---|---|
| Net Weight | 8.5Kg (Approx.) |
Only logged in customers who have purchased this product may leave a review.
You may also like…
Castilla-La Mancha
Price range: €32.40 through €91.90
This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
Sale!
Price range: €19.90 through €63.90
This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
Castilla-La Mancha
Price range: €9.40 through €129.00
This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
GUIDE TO IBERIAN HAMS
First and foremost, don't confuse Iberian hams with Serrano hams. They are quite different. You will find an explanation of Serrano hams on any page with that product.
The Iberian Pig
All Iberian hams come from the Iberian pig. Other cuts are also produced such as the tenderloin, or lomo in Spanish, and varieties of sausage, salchichón, a selection of which are available in our store.
This breed of pig is considered special because it has a unique ability to absorb and store fat within its muscle tissue. This is what creates that beautiful 'marbling' in the meat and is one of the main reasons why Iberian ham is so melt in your mouth delicious, and is in such demand around the world.
A 100% Iberian-bred pig has black hooves from which the term pata negra comes from. Pigs that are less than 100% Iberian-bred can also have black hooves but they are not referred to as pata negra in the context of Iberian ham.
The Labelling System
To understand the different categories of hams, a labelling system was introduced by the Spanish government in early 2014. This new system is aimed at clearing up some terminology that varied widely and caused confusion for natives and foreigners alike. Terms like cebo, cebo de campo, bellota, 100%, 50% etc. are now all covered by this labelling system, so although we use some of that terminology in our store, the most important information you need to know is the labelling system.
All Iberian ham legs and shoulders sold in Spain and abroad now have a label on them and it will have one of the colours, black, red, green or white. If it does not have this label then it is not certified as an Iberian ham and cannot be named that way. This label is kind of like a birth certificate for the ham that also covers it's history until it reaches the consumer.
Unfortunately, the system only covers full legs and shoulders and is not displayed on packaging once the ham has been sliced in any way. Not to worry though, we have done all that work for you in this store. In the images that go with each product you will see one of these labels. You will also see it in the "tags" section with each product.
So what does each colour label represent?
The short answer to that is that black is the highest quality, then red, green and white. You shouldn't feel you are getting the short straw if you end up with something that is not black. They are all Iberian hams of high quality and are delicious.
"All pigs are delicious, but some are more delicious than others"!
Regulatory colour labelling system for Iberian Hams
The 'montanera' is the final and most crucial phase in the raising of Iberian pigs. It refers to the period during which these pigs roam freely in the dehesa (Mediterranean oak forest pastures) and primarily feed on acorns (bellotas) that fall from the holm oak, cork oak, and gall oak trees. It takes place from October to March each year, when there is an abundance of acorns falling freely for feeding.
Is that all there is to it then?
Err...not quite, but you can read on if interested because we still need to talk about curing periods and methods, regions, and a few other bits and bobs, including the difference in a shoulder and leg ham, and the price.
The Curing Period and Process
All steps in the delivery of this premium gourmet product are important and the curing and drying stages are no different. Some hams are left to cure for over 4 years and need exactly the right environment along with regular attention. It is the time when the real magic happens and it requires skills and facilities that only a few possess, which perhaps explains why the product is so expensive.
It should be noted that each producer has different variations of the same processes so this is just a general guide, but they will comply with the Protected Designation of Origin regulations required for their certification if they possess that.
Iberian hams during the salting process
Salting
The hams are covered in sea salt and left for between 7 and 10 days, depending on the size of the ham but usually 1 day per kilogram. The purpose here is to dehydrate the ham and initiate the preservation process. The excess sea salt is then washed off with warm water.
Then the hams are left to rest in refrigerated chambers for between 30 and 90 days to allow for even moisture removal. The humidity is gradually reduced to prepare for the next stage, drying and maturing.
This stage involves the hams being left to hang in natural drying rooms for 6 to 9 months at quite varying temperatures between night and day and season to season, including up to 30ºC. The ventilation is always controlled. The fat absorbs into the muscle fibres, enhancing the flavour and aroma.
After that it's off to the cellars for the full curing to begin.
This can take anywhere between 12 and 48 months - that's 4 years curing on top of the raising of the pig, and the steps above.
Is there another food product in he world that takes that long and that much care and attention to produce?
Black label hams are cured for between 36 and 48 months, with red label being slightly less, green label between 24 and 36 months and white label between 12 and 24 months.
Basically, the longer they are cured the deeper and more intense the flavour becomes.
Iberian hams drying before the long curing period
Shoulder or Leg Ham and why the price difference?
First of all, the Spanish never refer to a 'leg of ham' in their language. A ham, or jamón, is all that is used and it automatically refers to the hind leg. Therefore, when you only see the term jamón in an Iberian ham, you will know the hind leg is the product. The shoulder (or front leg) will be specifically stated as that, paleta.
The paleta is significantly cheaper than the jamón and the reason for that is that mainly twofold:
If buying a full shoulder, it is much smaller than a hind leg and there is less ham on it in weight and as a percentage. So even though it is from the same Iberian pig, fed on the same diet etc., it is more expensive.
The curing time is also a factor. Shoulder hams are much thinner and therefore require much shorter curing times. A black label jamón requires a minimum of 36 months curing but the shoulder only requires 24 months. So that is an extra production cost that is reflect in the price.
Is the difference in price worth it?
We can't answer that for you unfortunately. It's a matter of taste and pocket!
Many Spanish talk about the paleta as their favourite part but that may be because they are more used to it. You are certainly not getting a cheap, or low quality cut with the paleta, or shoulder ham.
There is a difference in texture though. The jamón has a more even distribution of the fat in it than the paleta, and it has a less nuanced taste.
You should be able to see the differences in the fat distribution in the two different cuts in the image. It's not so much that there is more fat in the shoulder cut, but more about how it is infiltrated in the ham.
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.