5) Jamón Iberico - Spanish Cured Ham

The Spanish talk about their ham like the French speak of their wine. Cured for at least a year, often two, jamón is a staple part of every Spaniard's diet. Sadly there is a bit of the "emperor's new clothes" about it and much of it is a little unpalatable for those not brought up on it. Buy your [i]jamón[/i] from Huelva, Salamanca or the Alpujarras, near Granada. The [i]chorizo[/i] (spicy sausage) is good too.