Serrano ham

Serrano ham is Spain’s cured ham, made much like Italy’s Parma ham. Fresh hams are salted for about two weeks to draw off moisture and preserve the meat, then washed, hung for months, and air-dried; the drying phase lasts 6 to 18 months, traditionally in mountain sheds that give the ham its name. It is served in thin slices as a snack and used to flavour soups and pasta. The drying phase lasts 6 to 18 months, traditionally in mountain sheds that give the ham its name.