BAYONNE, THE JEWEL FROM SOUTH WEST
Jambon de Bayonne is one of the flowers of the French gourmet heritage, and the perfect representative of the festive mindset in the South West of France.
The Salaisons de l’Adour are in the heart of the Jambon de Bayonne Protected Geographical Indication area with the Atlantic ocean on the west side, the Pyrenees in the south and the Adour river in the North: at the foothill of the Pyrenees, a stone’s throw from the ocean.
A little bit of history…
The Jambon de Bayonne has always been produced in the Adour area, at the meeting point of warm winds from the south and the wet weather of the ocean.
Our pigs’ origins
We work ver closely with local farmers (64/65/40) who supply us with the hams to cure. They feed the pigs with cereals grown in their own farms.
We have very strict selection criteria. We only work with fresh hams meeting the PGI bill of specifications : fat amount, colour of the meat, minimum
weight, perfect cutting…
Salting
All our Jambons de Bayonne are covered with mineral salt from the Adour river basin characterized by its extreme purity (salt from Salies de Bearn, 64).
Our master salters cover each piece of ham with the perfect amount of salt to ensure both the preservation and the development of their distinctive flavours and savours. Just the right pinch.
Drying
After 5 months, we put the hams in our drying rooms opened to the south winds (Foehn) and the wetter winds from the Ocean. That’s what gives to our hams their specific and unique balances texture : neither too dry nor too chewy.
They have to dry slowly thanks to the influence of the Foehn while they acquire their melt-in-the-mouth texture from the wet air from the West.
Maturing
Finally, our hams go to the maturing room for at least a year to develop the full potential of their flavour and savour. Our best hams stay there for 14 months, and even 18 months for the biggest ones.
When they come out from the maturing rooms, all our Jambons de Bayonne are branded with the Bayonne stamp and our meat curing expert number
« 27 ». This attests their quality and their origin.
Tasting
Take a long knife and softly cut the meat. Don’t forget to keep a bit of fat on the edge of the slice.
How thick the slice is depends on your taste. However, the thinner the slice is, the stronger the flavors are.
Take your time when savoring your Jambon de Bayonne… simply… It will remind you of your childhood : between the ocean and the mountains. You’ll recognize the tastes of hazelnuts and chestnuts from the Adour forests, where it all began.
