U.S.-Bound Spanish Iberico Pata Negra Hams to Lose Black Hooves, Cost Double
Black-hooved Iberico pigs in Spain. Photograph from Shoes on Wires on Flickr
About a year ago, Iberico hams, the most gourmet of Spanish piggies, were first sold in the United States. They arrived with black hooves on—a symbol of Spanish hospitality and a guarantee of Iberico authenticity.
Now after a USDA ruling effective January 2009, all hams will arrive "pata negra sin pata" (without the telltale black hoof). To make it worse, the ruling added a punitive 100 percent tariff on all bone-in Iberico hams, which will double the price of any delivered after March 2009. So one of these ridiculously expensive (and seriously delicious) $1,400 hams will now set you back $2,800. Talk about starting the year off on the wrong foot. [After the jump, where you can find the last of these hoofed hams.]
Virginia-based gourmet Spanish food retailer La Tienda bought all the remaining "pata negra" hams to sell online. "I don't think the officials are aware of the profound cultural implications of what they are doing—you might say they're ham fisted," La Tienda owner Don Harris said in a press release on the issue.
Iberico hams start with pigs who gorge themselves on acorns in forest meadows, giving them an olive-oil-like flavor. Unlike the garden variety pink pig, the Iberico's hooves are normally coal black, hence the "pata negra."
Previously
Ibérico Ham: Crazy Good But Worth the Price?
Photo of the Day: '$169 a Pound'
Haminal, the Canned Ham-Shaped Animal
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9 Comments:
I'll use the $1400 for airfare and eat my patas negras con sus patas, thank you very much USDA.
BrianPrestonCampbell at 8:12PM on 02/11/09
Shoot, is this another tariff tiff like with roquefort cheese? Or is the USDA saving us from a funky foot disease?
chanterelle at 8:24PM on 02/11/09
Is it really worth the price? Just how amazing is it?
wunami at 8:29PM on 02/11/09
Geeze,
I really think thats a bit to pricey for any pig, but people with the means spend shloads of cabbage on all sorts of things. I doubt I will ever get to try it. I'm sure it is tasty though.
I have oak trees in my backyard. Maybe I should buy some pigs!
whatseatingme at 8:47PM on 02/11/09
Jesus. That price hike is insane! And yes, it's amazing. It's impossibly delicious. But now maybe claiming that isn't an exaggeration.
JustNancy at 12:25AM on 02/12/09
Whatevs. The Spanish should keep sending them with hooves. And the importers should keep taking delivery on them. The USDA inspection system is so broken they'd never notice.
Adam Kuban at 1:31AM on 02/12/09
Haha, right, Adam? I pretty much hate the USDA. And, the FDA. It's like go run off with PETA somewhere and leave me alone.
meg3j at 6:38AM on 02/12/09
Tariffs are insidious.
bobbob at 8:49AM on 02/12/09
It all goes back to the US Corn industry!
US pigs eat US corn, so we must protect US Pigs and that Protects the Corn industry, which protects the US farmer, which protects the US Public.
No jobs lost to those Tasty Spanish Pigs!
phauxtoe at 11:23AM on 02/12/09