Word: hams
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...factory pig farm in La Gloria, Mexico, as a possible source for the virus. But among the scientists, producers, regulators and distributors who had gathered in Aracena, just down the road from Jabugo, to network and listen to scientists discussing the latest innovations in pig breeding and ham raising, no one was willing to admit concern about what the future might hold for their prized product...
...versions, but the most highly esteemed is made from an indigenous breed of pig called the ibérico. During the last months of their lives, the pigs are allowed to roam freely over a landscape known as the dehesa, feasting on nothing but grass and acorns. The resulting hams, which are dry cured for an average of two years, boast a rich, full-flavored meat that is simultaneously sweet and salty, nutty and grassy. In Jabugo and nearby Aracena, two towns renowned for producing some of the best ham in Spain, a good ibérico ham sells...
...everyone sees it that way. Fernando Justo, who works for an organization that certifies the Portuguese pigs of Presunto de Barrancos, hinted darkly at the "economic interests" behind the Russian ban, by which, one imagines, he can only mean a sort of ham protectionism. Taking advantage of a break in the proceedings to snack on a ham sandwich, he said: "People who are less educated will give it up at first. But that will pass...
...Indeed, congress participants across the board saw little cause for concern. "There's no reason to worry," said Manuel Mayner, whose company, Sepinum, is working with the Spanish government to launch a Ham Route which will guide tourists past some of the country's best ham-producing farms. "We've had hysteria surrounding influenzas before and nothing happened. We'll survive this one too." Even restaurant critic José Carlos Capel, who sparked the conference's biggest controversy when he lambasted the ham industry for its lack of transparency, is sure nothing will displace the product's primacy...
...Instead, conference participants focused on more pressing concerns, like the benefits of phytate levels in the acorns the pigs eat, or how to promote ibérico ham abroad. But more than anything, they basked in the glory of their own product. American journalist Peter Kaminsky drew comparisons between the Spanish reverence for jamón and the American love for barbeque. Appreciative murmurs ran through the auditorium when food writer José Oneto showed slides of classic dishes made with ham. And Carlos Infantes, of the European Institute for the Mediterranean Diet, got understanding laughs when, in a talk...