We get stuck into a meaty issue (sorry) as Tomas Mowlam explains the culinary wonder of jamón ibérico. Italy has prosciutto, Croatia has Pršut, Spain even has another famous ham – jamón Serrano – so what’s all the fuss? Well jamón ibérico is just a different league of pig based goodness.

The first difference is that Jamón Serrano comes from the white pig, but Jamón ibérico is made from the black pig, cerdo negro, nicknamed pata negra for their thin black legs.

The second major difference is the care and strict regulation with which every stage of the production of the ham is governed.

Piglets are weaned, then fattened on cereals and acorns, and then allowed to roam through la dehesa; groves of holm oaks known as encina in Spain. Chowing down on sweet acorns (bellota) and rooting about on the dusty ground of la dehesa is key to the ham.

The diet of bellota during la montanera, the period from October to January when the acorns fall to the ground gives ham its nutty/olive taste. The pigs have to weigh 160kg or more, and are limited to two pigs per hectare so the little porkers get their fill of bellota.

If they’re judged to have passed the strict regulations they are graded. The top grade is Jamón ibérico de bellota, which means it’s a pure bred pig, fed solely on bellota during the montanera and aged at least three years. It’s pricey too.

It mainly comes from the areas of Salamanca, Extremadura and Andalucia. The hams from Guilejo in Salamanca, and Huelva in particularly the town of Jabugo, are some of the most famous.

The Spanish protection of this makes French defence of Champagne look timid and the rules governing production are so strict that the end result should be excellent whichever mark you buy.

After the pigs go the great slaughterhouse in the sky they’re cured and dried, a process which can take up to four years for the very best hams. And my god is it worth the wait; the jamon is sliced wafer thin and it melts in a salty, ruby-red flavour burst.

P&O Ferries is running the Portsmouth – Bilbao service until the end of the summer, so hop on board while you’ve got the chance.

Image Credit:http://www.po-ferries-uk.co.uk/blog/?p=1641

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Look out over Rotterdam and the river, feel the salt air coming from the North Sea, and watch countless cargo ships motor by and you might just get an idea how vital the sea is to this Dutch city. And one of the best ways to get a feel for the role the sea has played in Rotterdam’s history is to visit the Maritime Museum, says Tomas Mowlam

Right on the river at Leuvehaven 1, Waterstad, the museum covers the entire port’s history.

Rotterdam first flourished as a vital Spanish port, then in the Spanish Netherlands, during the religious wars of the 16th Century.

After the long war against Spain for independence, the new Netherlands transformed itself into a rich and powerful merchant nation. The Dutch navy ranged through the East Indies, exploring strange new lands and making a fortune in the process.

Rotterdam remained a vital port, but was savagely bombed by the Luftwaffe during WWII as a warning to resisters. Today it is the busiest container port in Europe and the world’s seventh largest port.

There is plenty for the kids to enjoy, learn and play with including the museum ship, the Buffel, a Dutch Naval Frigate from 1868.

New exhibitions running include Animals on board. A look at how animals have crossed oceans, hitching a lift on boats. The family exhibition gives you a chance to “hoist a cow onto the quay, help look after the animals, play the droppings game and shell out for a dodo drumstick at meal time in the galley.”

MainPort Live brings the grandeur of the old back to the centre of the city. As the port has grown it has moved farther and farther from the heart of the city, MainPort Live brings the hustle and bustle back to the many stately ships moored in the river in the centre of town.

Glamour on the Waves exhibition looks at the classier side of life on the ocean wave, with six luxury boat interiors from the past century of luxury boat building.

Open 10am -5pm Tuesday to Saturday, 11am-5pm Sunday.

Image Credit: JeHu68