This Aragonese company makes the best Serrano ham in Spain

The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has published today in the Official State Gazette the Food of Spain Awards for the Best Hams 2024. In the category of Serrano ham or other recognized quality figures, the award has gone to “Jamones Perfecto”, from the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) Jamón de Teruel, while in the category of Iberian acorn-fed ham the award has gone to “Juan Manuel gran selección 2020”, from the PDO Guijuelo.

Regarding “Jamones Perfecto”, presented by the company Jamones Castelfrío from Cedrillas (Teruel), the jury highlighted its homogeneous and balanced mass, which when cut shows a bright, intense red lean, with uniform marbling and bright white-pink fat. It also highlighted its characteristic smell of cured and aged ham, with a balanced flavour.

In the Iberian category, “Juan Manuel Gran Selección 2020”, presented by Juan Manuel Hernández SA from Guijuelo (Salamanca), has been awarded for its elongated piece with a fine shank and homogeneous mass . The jury also highlighted that, when cut, the lean meat is intense cherry red, homogeneous and shiny, with uniform marbling and bright white-pink fat. In addition, its smell of cured and aged Iberian ham is valued, with a slightly 
salty, sweet taste and intense notes of aging.

60 samples participated in this edition – 25 in the first category of Serrano ham and 35 in the Iberian category – and the evaluation was carried out by expert tasters coordinated by the Institute for Food Research and Technology (IRTA) of the Generalitat of Catalonia and the Service for Analysis and Innovation in Products of Animal Origin (SIPA) of the University of Extremadura.

The “Food of Spain” strategy uses these awards as an effective tool to encourage the excellence of national food and drink. The winners will have preference in the promotional actions designed by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.

The Alimentos de España awards, created in 1987, recognise companies and products that stand out for their quality, innovation and contribution to Spanish gastronomy. This recognition is part of the “The richest country in the world” campaign, which reinforces Spain as a quality food and gastronomic powerhouse. The awards for the best ham have been awarded every two years since 2016, so the 2024 edition is the fifth.