Glossary J
jamon Serrani is the renowed Spanish dry-cured ham that is thinly sliced enough for the soft fat to melt in the mouth. It is cured in salt for 2 weeks, stored in towering piles for 2 months. The ham which is sweet and fatty becomes flat, and dense resulting from the pressure being stacked.
Jamon Serrano is the delectable cured Spanish ham that any visitor to Spain is sure to have encountered at one time or another. Serrano ham is displayed in many bars hanging from the ceiling and also displayed prominently on a special stand known as a Jamonera in the perfect position for cutting. Cutting of this Jamon Serrano is something of an art itself as it is is never cut with a machine, but always manually using a special knife and the exact thickness is of great importance.
Jamon Serrano is served best with acidic accompaniments like peppers, Membrillo (quince paste) and a glass of Sangria
"Serrano" means "from the mountains". The ham has this name because its origins lie in the mountains and in the time before refrigerators the slow process of air curing was one of the best ways to preserve your meat.
To make a serrano jam you take a nice fat pig's leg, rub it with salt and hang it in a cool, airey place. Traditionally the making of jamon Serrano sometimes also known as jamon iberico, would start in the autumn after the slaughtering of the pigs once the weather had cooled down. They are then hung out to dry in a place where there is minimal water but where the wind can get at them. The curing process is finished by the summer by which time the ham will have lost about a third of it's weight. The longer the ham is cured the better the flavor and in fact it continues curing until it's finally eaten.
Pata Negra .
A pata Negra is the ham most correctly termed jamon iberico as these Spanish hams come from the Iberian pig, a black pig descended from the wild boar. They were once the predominant race in Spain but are not so common today, being mainly found in Andalucia, and their hams are highly prized.
The pigs that produce Jamon Serrano are pasture fed on acorns and it is this natural rearing which is so important in giving the meat its delectable and unique flavor. In today's health conscious world they are to be valued as a meat low in saturated fats and cholesterol and as such are an important part of the healthy Mediterranean Diet. Serrano ham contains a high level of oleic acid, a mono-unsaturated fat which can have the effect of lowering cholesterol levels and has also recently been proved to have anti cancer properties. This is the oil found in olive oil which has also been receiving very good reports in the health press in recent years.
So next time you are in Spain be sure to try some Jamon Serrano, I am sure there isn't a bar in the land which does not serve this wonderful ham.
Try asking for a catalan which is a bocadillo, or large roll, served with jamon serrano, cheese and olive oil.
About the author:
Ruth Polak is the owner of www.costadelsol-vacationrentals.com A web site specializing in holiday villas and apartments on the Costa del Sol and in Rural Andalucia. You will also find lots of information about Spain and Andalucia, in particular.
By Ruth Polak
Published: 11/1/2006
Jahe is the Indonesian word for "Ginger". Young ginger rhizomes are juicy and fleshy with a very mild taste. In some Asian countries, they are often pickled in vinegar or sherry as a snack or just cooked as an ingredient in many dishes. They can also be stewed in boiling water to make ginger tea, to which honey is often added as a sweetener; sliced orange or lemon fruit may also be added. Mature ginger roots are fibrous and nearly dry. The juice from old ginger roots is extremely potent and is often used as a spice in Indian recipes and Chinese cuisine to flavor dishes such as seafood or mutton and vegetarian recipes. Powdered dry ginger root (ginger powder) is typically used to spice gingerbread and other recipes. Fresh ginger can be substituted for ground ginger at a ratio of 6 parts fresh for 1 part ground, although the flavors of fresh and dried ginger are not exactly interchangeable.
Ginger is also made into candy, is used as a flavoring for cookies, crackers and cake, and is the main flavor in ginger ale-a sweet, carbonated, non-alcoholic beverage, as well as the similar, but spicier ginger beer which is popular in the Caribbean.
Fresh ginger should be peeled before cooking. For storage, the ginger should be wrapped tightly in a towel and placed in a plastic bag, and can be kept for about three weeks in a refrigerator and up to three months in a freezer.
Ginger is also used in the Philippines to cook "Salabat " , a hot beverage made of ginger boiled in water and drunk like a hot tea with sugar. Usually served during Christmas time with kakanin and puto bumbong. Good for aching throat.
In Germany, may favorite ginger food is that of candied or crystallized ginger, available in squares and rectangular shapes. There are a lot of brands of candied ginger here. We do not have such candied ginger in the Philippines, as far as I know. I get to learn about this candied ginger when my husband and I was invited once to a small afternoon gathering when we were welcomed by one our neighbors just to get to know each other. She served us white wine and sekt with lots of small knink knacks and one of them is this candied ginger, next day, I was in the grocery searching for this and so happy to know I can always buy them whenever I like.
I am never without fresh ginger in my ref, I love to sautee' tuna fish in can with onion, garlic, tomatoes and chopped ginger, when I miss my home, so simple, but so delicious and besides, the ginger taste reminds me of my mom's cooking. And lastly, ginger is good for toothache, just get a small piece of pounded ginger and rub or placed it in the aching tooth. It works wonders!
Jajca na Oko which literally means "eggs in the shape of an eye” in Slovak, actually refers to sunny side up (eggs fried or cooked sunny side up where the egg yolk remains whole that it looks like a sun).