Jamon Serrano Sources in MD

[StorageLady]

I need a bit of Jamon Serrano for a presentation I'm doing in Spanish class next Tuesday. Between now and then I will be travelling between Frederick, MD and St. Michaels (passing Columbia, Ellicott City)...Anyone know where I can buy some? Does Trader Joes carry it?

Thanks..

[DanielK]

Maybe Balducci's in Bethesda?

[Anna Blume]

A & H Seafood in Bethesda!

[StorageLady]

Any ideas of where I might find the ham closer to Columbia?

[StorageLady]

May not be the most economical way, but I just called the local Spanish restaurant and asked if they could sell me some...And they said yes! Saves me a trip....thank you Isabellas Tavern!

[RaisaB]

May not be the most economical way, but I just called the local Spanish restaurant and asked if they could sell me some...And they said yes! Saves me a trip....thank you Isabellas Tavern!

Isn't there a Wegman's in Columbia? They usually have a couple of types of Serrano. If not you can order some from LaTienda.com today and it should be there Monday. Here in Fairfax, La Americana grocery on Main has it. There is also Surryano ham which is a Virginia made version of Serrano. The producers is Edwardsvaham.com and they can ship it to you or provide local sources.

[StorageLady]

I didn't think that there was a Wegmans in Columbia - I thought my closest one was down near Sterling, VA....But thanks for the tips on the other places to order. I appreciate the help!

[Toogs]

They are building a Wegman's in Columbia but it's not finished yet.

[zoramargolis]

On my recent first visit to Spain, I found it fascinating that the attitude there toward jamon serrano is bordering on the contemptuous. It's all about jamon iberico there--the best grade being jamon iberico bellota. Even in dive-y tapas bars, they serve iberico. There is almost a higher regard for boiled ham there--called jamon york, which is a component in a "sandwich mixto," which is a grilled ham and cheese sandwich on white bread. I learned pretty quickly that a "sandwich" means ordinary white bread and a "bocadillo" is a baguette-type loaf with (usually) a single filling, which could be jamon iberico, fried calamares, manchego cheese, chorizo, et al--no mayo, mustard, lettuce, tomato. In some tapas places, this is also available in "piqueño" size, about 5-6" long. A regular bocadillo is 8-9" long. The various meats/cheeses can also be ordered as a tapa, by itself on a plate. But at one point, I was buying picnic fixings in a tapas bar/gourmet market in a town called Ronda--they had three full hams (with the foot and hoof still on, of course) set up next to each other in the bracket holder stands that are ubiquitous. One was serrano--the lowest grade, the next was iberico, and the third was iberico bellota. The serrano had barely been cut into, the ibericos were almost down to their bones, and the jamon slicer made it pretty clear that I wouldn't enjoy the taste of the serrano nearly as much.

[Anna Blume]

Interesting. Enough iberico for an entire class in this country would set SL back a couple of hundred, though, unless it's a seminar.

[StorageLady]

I think I'll stick with the $16/lb jamon from Isabellas! But, when I finally get my trip to Barcelona...well, Iberico for me!

[ol_ironstomach]

It's almost cruel. We can barely get jamon serrano here, and yet you walk into a regular neighborhood tapas or pintxos bar over there and not infrequently, it might look like this:

Donostia-San Sebastián

Above each of the conical dripping-catchers is a ham. For the record, the beer tap handle in the foreground was fake. And yes, many of the tags in this scene indicate bellota.

[StorageLady]

It's almost cruel. We can barely get jamon serrano here, and yet you walk into a regular neighborhood tapas or pintxos bar over there and not infrequently, it might look like this:

Donostia-San Sebastián

Above each of the conical dripping-catchers is a ham. For the record, the beer tap handle in the foreground was fake. And yes, many of the tags in this scene indicate bellota.

Ummmmmmmmmm...YUM!