Ham in Europe
 

The ham you get in France, Italy, etc. is a much better product than we can get in the US.
Even the packaged slices you buy in a grocery store in Paris are superior.

I've read about the way they feed their animals and cure their ham which is obviously the difference.

Is there any small producer in the US that even comes close to the quality of European ham?

I also posted this on the Lounge/food,wine

Would love to see responses on this topic.

I can't find the Lounge. Has this been scrapped?

WELL, yes, you can.

https://www.google.com/#sclient=psy-...w=1333&bih=576

Fodor's has severely limited use of the Lounge. If you were not a particapant by some cut off date in April, you are not allowed to participate.

Personally I think Jamón Ibérico, also known as 'pata negra' is far superior to French ham, but the price is insane.

I also prefer prosciutto from Italy, which is also expensive but not like Jamón Ibérico.

And as an aside, I think Spanish and Greek olive oils are highly under appreciated.

Ask on Chowhound.

What particular type of ham are you looking for? In my area even supermarkets - never mind gourmet shops - have tons of different types of hams - some imported from Italy and Spain.

Naturally the basic deli brands of boiled ham are nothing like the real thing in europe.

"Jamón Ibérico, also known as 'pata negra' "

Calling a ham "Pata negra" is not a guarantee of quality and is illegal in Spain.

<<I think Spanish and Greek olive oils are highly under appreciated>>

Italian olive oil is not always Italian: trade regs allow olive oil to be stamped "Product of Italy" if it is processed there, without reference to the origin of the olives. That Italian olive oil you think doesn't measure up to Spanish or Greek could be . . . from Spanish or Greek olives.

<<The ham you get in France, Italy, etc. is a much better product than we can get in the US.
Even the packaged slices you buy in a grocery store in Paris are superior.>>

This is overwrought and over-stated. Stop comparing higher-end European products or specialty meats (seriously, how often do you have ham in a fine restaurant in the US) to Hormel and instead compare the best in ___ to the best in the US.

Italian olive oil is not always Italian: trade regs allow olive oil to be stamped "Product of Italy" if it is processed there, without reference to the origin of the olives. That Italian olive oil you think doesn't measure up to Spanish or Greek could be . . . from Spanish or Greek olives.

And this is based on....?

I may not qualify as a gourmet but I did not notice too much difference in cured/cooked packaged slices of ham in any US Safeway versus what you get in the same price/quality range at Carrefour or Alcampo or Aldi.
It is indeed a bit unfair to compare true jamón ibérico to what you find vacuum-packaged at your local supermarket.

What BigRuss wrote on "Italian" olive oil is pretty much common knowledge in Europe. Unless you buy a DOC olive oil in Europe, the ingredients can come from anywhere in the Union - typically not from Sweden or Ireland but Greece or Spain.
You get much more bangs for your bucks (euros, actually) if you market the oil as "Italian".

There was a general discussion of ham, not just packaged ham. Please read the OP posting again before returning to aisle 6.

Italy exports more oil than it produces......

BigAl.. whatever.. let's cut it short and agree that you got it right as always.

P.S. Is everything on you as big as your ego? just curious..

Cowboy

Asking someone to re-read the original context is egotistical? Who old are you?

I have no clue. Would you help me out on this one?

P.S. I even had to look up egotistical. I get a certain rush if my vocabulary gets challenged.. brb.. I think I need a cigarette now...

La Quercia makes incredible products. I have enjoyed their proscuitto, guanciales and speck. Their products are used by bybetter restaurants who support the locally sourced slow food movement.

Cowboy, Big Al is overlooking the fact that . . . he brought up the olive oil discussion. It had been that way for ages until the EU rewrote labeling requirements last year.

Big Russ and Cowboy agreeing on different things are like two inmates in straight jackets murmuring to each other and laughing.

Even before the EU, there was Italian laws governing olive oil and the use of DOP as an indication of products, including olive oil, of products made in Italy and that there were strict guidelines as how to identify olive oil.

To wit, I did not mention Italian olive oil, BigRuss did.

Same advice I gave Cowboy go read what was writeen.

There is a local supermarket chain where I live and they have some good hams but they are in the deli section, not packaged. The supermarket is owned by Marks and Spencer. And there is the absolutely fabulous ham I had at Christmas time - I'm still dreaming about it but you have to buy a whole ham.

This information won't help you, though, as you don't live in this area. But I'm answering your question - yes, you can get good ham in the US.