What food can I take into Spain from Europe
 

I will be going to Spain over Christmas this year (travelling from the UK) and wondered if it is OK to take an uncooked Gammon ham joint into Spain. It will be vacuum packed but I'm not sure of the rules.

Chances are that you will not even be stopped by customs in Spain. Don't worry about it.

Taking ham INTO Spain? That's a novel idea.

Yes, it looks funny to me , ham into Spain :) Can you tell me what kind of ham is that ? Anything special about it ? :) I have to say I love british York ham (and other boiled hams), but there are good ones also here.

Gardyloo..

my exact thoughts when I read the post !

Last time I checked the map, Spain was still in Europe. May be the novel "Stone Raft" by Jose Saramago came true and nobody told me.

Ordinarily, there's no restriction on food imports into Spain from other EU states.

But an outbreak of swine fever in Britain (not that common) can bring regulations back. If you're driving, outbreaks anywhere else might get the Spanish to impose restrictions at land borders.

Worth googling again just before popping down to Waitrose to buy the Christmas joint.

cj01: May I ask WHY you want to take a ham to Spain? As the others say, unless there is some new outbreak, you can take it. But did you know Spain is world famous for its hams?

Did anyone consider the remote possibility that this person likes the ham they are planning to take better than the ones in Spain?

That it might be a gift for someone who adores hams from the UK

The next thing you know someone will be asking why this person is going to Spain and not to Paris.

Yes, I did, Dukey. I like some British hams. Anyway, the question is fairly unusual , people uses to ask for taking hams out of Spain. But personally, I didn't mean why, just wanted to know what a Gammon ham is like.

Dukey - you always want to stir things up. I was only asking because it is quite possible the OP does not know about the wonderful hams in Spain/Portugal. If he does know that and still wants to carry a ham - great. But if he did not know that, maybe we can save him some trouble.

There is an old saying about taking hamburger to a steak dinner. There is very little difference in boiled hams, although some are considered gourmet, but I have yet to find anything that compares to the great Jamón Ibérico, but then boiled ham is not in the same realm of great hams.

May I point you to the words "uncooked", "joint" and "Christmas"?

All of that means that they are planning on cooking a typical british Christmas dinner ... and cj01, I don't think you will have problems getting it into Spain.

Bring also other things you might need. Depending where you are living, it is difficult to find many foods. I must look it up, because there is a shop here in Madrid that might interest you, Taste of British or something like that.

Rgds, Cova

I'm also thinking that the person may not be able to shop for the right kind of Christmas ham once in Spain due to time or language contstraints or whatever else.

Contact the local embassy/consulate and ask about any restrictions.

OK, I found one of the shops :
www.thefoodhall.es
Not the one I was looking for, but they deliver all over Spain.

Rgds, Cova

If it's a Yorkshire ham I can easily understand why the poster wants to take it to Spain--that ham is SO good.

The answer is we are self catering in a caravan over the Xmas holiday and although we are booked into a nice restaurant for Xmas day we will want to cook something nice for a Boxing Day meal and as we won't have an oven thought that a boiled gammon joint would be a good idea. And Yes, I do love spanish ham and am very fond of Jamon Iberico which we will certainly have while we are there. Thanks for all the advice. Will check just before we go but will probably just put one in our hand baggage.