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Featured
Products:
Jamon
Iberico Bellota
The
finest jamon in spain
Jamon Iberico Bellota
is the "beluga caviar" or "french Roquefort" of the Spanish Jamon.
This particular type of Iberian Ham , begins with a meticulous
selection of the Iberian hogs growing up in absolute freedom in the
mountain in a natural enviroment, feeding themselves mainly on
cereals, aromatic plants and acorns at “montanera”
season.
There
are two types of black-hooved Iberico pigs - one that lives the
life of a normal pig and one that is free-range fed on acorns
(bellotas) and wild plants. These are the coveted Bellota
hams. The only difference is in diet and excercise, but those
things make all the difference in the world.
The rare
Bellota Jamón Ibérico hams are infused with the flavor of their
favorite food, the acorn (bellota) from a cork tree. The paper-thin
slices, glistening with healthy mono-unsaturated fat, provide a
rich nutty flavor and tender texture.
From the
moment they are born, the special black Iberian hogs destined for
Bellota quality are treated royally. For special periods after
their birth, until their sacrifice (as the Spaniards term it), they
live, sleep and forage under the open sky in specially maintained
oak forests, called "la dehesa". These rare black-hoofed
descendants of native Iberian wild boar typically have over five
acres in which to forage and roam. They live for about two years in
this porcine paradise -- many times the lifespan of a normal
domestic pig.
In the
bulking up stage each fall, the pigs feast on 15 to 20 pounds of
acorns or 'bellotas' per day. This allows them to gain as much as 2
pounds of body weight daily. The consistent exercise they enjoy as
they forage in a free-range atmosphere is essential to the final
quality of the hams.
Finally,
the hams are 'sacrificed', salted and hung up to cure from two to
four years. During this carefully monitored period when they are
hanging in the mountain air, the hams lose 20% to 40% of their
weight. Remarkably, the curing process converts much of the
remaining fat of the ham into a beneficial good-cholesterol fat,
much like extra virgin olive oil. But this process only occurs in
the hams made from acorn fed pigs - producing Bellota
hams.
Once the
extraordinary raw material is obtained, then begins the
salting process, applying a cape of salt in all the hams and
going through the drying process, until finally they are moved to a
special warehouses for the slow aging period, between 24 and
36 months. Only after this process, is the true gourmet aroma
and flavour obtained.
Jamon
Iberico Bellota hams are marbled with rich golden fat, infused with
the flavor of the Iberico pigs' favorite food, the acorn -
'bellota' in Spanish. Sliced paper-thin, it has a rich nutty flavor
and tender texture.
Jamon
Iberico Bellota is the pride of Spain, and Spaniards consume the
vast majority of these hams in their own country. Some producers
have waiting lists for several years for their best
products.
Enjoy
Jamon Iberico Bellota - now available at 
Gran
Sardo
100% sheep's milk
cheese
A very special
cheese direct from Italy.
A hard raw
cheese made from all natural ingredients: 100% sheep’s milk,
curdled with lamb’s rennet. A sharp flavour that becomes stronger
as it matures.
Our Gran Sardo
is made by CAO, the Italian Sheep breeder’s co-operative society,
created in 1959 predominantly from the Barbagia region.
The CAO
operates within the European Community regulations but according to
Sardinian tradition.
Gran Sardo is
an excellent table cheese, used grated on pasta or with
antipasto.
now available at
Find out more
at: http://www.caoformaggi.it/English/home2.htm
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