We have just left behind one of the first heatwaves of the summer. For days, thermometers have exceeded 40 ºC in many parts of Spain and, as every year, one of the most common questions people ask us in our experiences is: how does an Iberian pig cope with the heat if it doesn't sweat?
At Ibéricos Torreón, we have also used these days to talk on social media about another aspect related to heat: the ideal temperature at which we should enjoy a good Iberian ham. That's why today we want to answer two simple but important questions.
How does heat affect an Iberian pig? And what role does the dehesa play in allowing us to enjoy a ham with such a special flavor?
The dehesa: much more than a landscape
When we talk about the Iberian pig, we often think of holm oaks, acorns, or large open spaces. And that's no coincidence.
The dehesa is not just a beautiful landscape. It is an ecosystem cultivated for centuries, where holm oaks, cork oaks, pastures, and livestock coexist in balance.
For the Iberian pig, it is much more than a place to live: it is part of what we will later find in the taste.
Here, they have ample space to walk several kilometers every day, find food naturally, and develop peacefully. This way of life, impossible to reproduce in other production systems, is one of the keys that make Iberian products exceptional.
The Iberian pig moves a lot. It searches, walks, and selects what it eats. That's why it walks kilometers daily, overcoming inclines to find the sweetest acorns and the freshest pastures. This continuous exercise causes the fat it accumulates not to stay on the surface but to subtly and progressively infiltrate the animal's muscle fibers.
If pigs don't sweat... how do they cope with the heat?
It's true: pigs have very few functional sweat glands, so they don't regulate their body temperature through sweating like humans or other animals.
So, what do they do when the hottest days arrive?
They seek the shade of the holm oaks, rest during the middle of the day, cool off in puddles or wet areas, and concentrate their activity in the early morning and late afternoon. In puddles, the mud, as it slowly dries on their skin, acts as a protective thermal and solar screen.
The dehesa itself is prepared for them. The trees provide natural shade and help reduce the ground temperature by several degrees, creating a much more pleasant environment for the animals.
That's why the dehesa not only provides food: it also offers well-being.
And that well-being is ultimately reflected in the quality of the product.
A pig that moves, a different ham
One of the great values of Iberian pigs raised in freedom is precisely their physical activity.
During the montanera, when acorns fall from the holm and cork oaks, the animals travel long distances each day looking for them. This continuous exercise promotes a natural infiltration of fat within the muscle.
It is this fat that, over years of curing, eventually becomes one of the great hallmarks of Iberian ham: a juicy texture, an intense aroma, and that marbling that practically melts in your mouth.
It's not just genetics. It's genetics, diet, exercise, time... and dehesa.
The flavor begins long before curing
When we think of a great ham, we usually imagine natural drying rooms and the work of ham masters. And, of course, that phase is essential.
But the true origin of the flavor begins much earlier. At Ibéricos Torreón, when we talk about Iberian, we don't just talk about curing or slicing. We talk about the countryside, about time, and about a way of raising that begins long before the ham reaches the drying room.
It begins when the animal lives in an appropriate environment, when it can develop its natural behavior, and when it feeds on what the countryside offers in each season. Every acorn, every walk among holm oaks, and every day of life in freedom are part of the final result.
Ham also understands temperature
Just as heat influences the life of the Iberian pig, it also influences how we enjoy ham.
During these high-temperature days, we have remembered a very simple tip on our social media: Iberian ham expresses its full potential when consumed at around 22-24 ºC.
At that temperature, the fat begins to melt naturally, releasing all its aromas and allowing its texture and nuances to be better appreciated.
If it is too cold, much of those sensations remain "hidden." Simply bringing it to room temperature a while before consuming it will allow the ham to better display its aroma, texture, and flavor.
Indeed, behind every slice there is much more than years of curing. There is a unique ecosystem, a way of raising pigs based on respect for nature, and a balance that begins under the shade of a holm oak.
The next time you enjoy a good Iberian ham, you might remember that its flavor began to be built long before it reached your table. It began in the dehesa, one of the greatest treasures of our gastronomy.