SALES of Spanish dry-cured ham in China have doubled between 2012 and 2016.
According to the Inter-professional Association of Iberian Pork, Spain is now leading sales of dry-cured ham in the Asian powerhouse, making €1.8 million in sales last year, excluding Hong Kong.
Italy made €1.4 million while France trailed far behind with just €30,000.
The figures come after several Jiarui Fine Foods employees travelled to Jabugo in Huelva in March, invited by the Cinco Jotas brand specialists. Â
Herds of purebred black Iberian pigs graze there in pasturelands covered with oak trees.
The acorns they eat give the ham its unique hazelnut taste after a three-year maturing period.
Cinco Jotas workers explained to the Chinese sales managers how the dry-cured ham is made.
They have used this information to attract customers back home in China, where classic jamon sells for up to 20% more than in Spain.
“At the beginning, customers were just looking for elegant products because they’re rich,” says Wu, a sales manager at Jiarui Fine Foods.
“But more and more they want to learn more and educate themselves… to know why it’s so good and why it’s got such a high price.”
The highest quality hams can rake in even higher margins.
A leg of the most sought-after pata negra jamon can sell for up to €3,000 in Hong Kong.
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