Charcuterie glossary: PGI, TSG, curing, bloom, natural casing

The vocabulary of French and Spanish dry-cured charcuterie, explained in two or three sentences, A to Z. Headwords are the original terms you will see on our products.

A

Affinage (curing): the drying and maturing period after salting, during which the product loses water and develops its aromas. A few weeks for a saucisson, 9 to 36 months for a ham. The longer the curing, the deeper the flavour.

AOP (PDO, Protected Designation of Origin): EU label guaranteeing that a product is made entirely within a defined area using recognised know-how. Stricter than PGI.

B

Bellota: Spanish for “acorn”. A Bellota ham comes from an Iberian pig that finished its fattening free-range in the dehesa, fed on acorns. Black label when the pig is 100% Iberian. 36-month Bellota ham.

Boyau naturel (natural casing): casing made from cleaned pork intestine, as opposed to artificial casing (collagen or plastic). It lets the meat breathe and carries the bloom. A sign of craftsmanship.

C

Chiffonnade: very thin slices of ham, loosely folded, cut with a slicer or a long knife from a Serrano taco.

Chorizo Riojano PGI: chorizo made in La Rioja to a protected recipe: pork, paprika (pimentón), garlic, salt, no colourings or additives. Mild or spicy. Our PGI chorizos.

Concours Général Agricole: the official competition of the Paris Agricultural Show. Products are blind-tasted by a jury; gold, silver and bronze medals. Our dry sausages are medal winners.

D

Dehesa: the open oak woodland of south-western Spain where Iberian pigs graze and eat acorns.

Désossé (boneless): ham whose bone was removed after curing, then pressed and vacuum-packed. Easy to slice with no waste. Our whole boneless hams.

DLC / DDM (use-by / best-before): our dry-cured products carry a best-before date: optimal quality until that date.

E

Espetec: the traditional name for fuet around Vic, Catalonia. “Fuet Espetec Extra” is the top quality grade. Catalan fuet Espetec.

ETG (TSG, Traditional Speciality Guaranteed): EU label protecting a traditional recipe and method, regardless of place. Serrano ham is a TSG: it can be made anywhere in Spain, but to set rules (minimum curing, salting, drying).

F

Fleur (white bloom): a layer of natural yeasts and moulds that forms on the casing during drying. It protects and regulates the curing. Normal and harmless.

Fuet: a thin (2 to 3 cm), mild Catalan dry sausage in natural casing, with a thick white bloom. Our fuets.

H

Hachage (grind): the size of the pieces of meat and fat in a sausage. Coarse grind = rustic look, firm bite (Auvergne saucisson). Fine grind = smooth texture (fuet).

I

Ibérique (Iberian): Spanish pig breed with black hooves and marbled fat. An “Iberian” ham comes from a pig at least 50% Iberian; “100% ibérico” for the pure breed.

IGP (PGI, Protected Geographical Indication): EU label guaranteeing that at least one production step takes place in a defined area, to set rules. Examples: Auvergne ham PGI, Chorizo Riojano PGI.

J

Jambon d'Auvergne PGI: dry-cured ham from French pork, dry-salted and cured in Auvergne, often at altitude, for at least 240 days. Charcuterie from Auvergne.

Jamón Serrano: Spanish dry-cured ham from white pigs, TSG, cured for at least 7 months (12 to 24 months for ours). “Serrano” comes from sierra, the mountains. Our hams.

L

Lomo: pork loin, salted, seasoned with paprika and dried whole. The leanest cut in Spanish charcuterie. Iberian lomo Reserva.

M

Montanera: the season (October to March) when Iberian pigs feed on acorns in the dehesa. It is what makes a Bellota ham.

P

Pata Negra: “black hoof”, nickname of the Iberian pig. Since 2014 the term is reserved for 100% Iberian Bellota hams (black label).

Pimentón: Spanish paprika, sweet (dulce) or hot (picante), sometimes smoked (de la Vera). The spice of chorizo and lomo.

S

Salage au sel sec (dry salting): the meat is rubbed with and covered in salt, with no injected brine. The traditional method for dry-cured hams.

Saucisse sèche (dry sausage): same recipe as a saucisson but thinner (about 3 cm) and dried for less time, so more tender. Our dry sausages.

Saucisson sec: French dry-cured pork sausage in natural casing, sliced whole at the table. Our saucissons.

Sous vide (vacuum-packed): airtight packaging that stops drying and extends shelf life. Our hams and slices are delivered vacuum-packed.

T

Taco: a block of boneless ham (usually 400 to 500 g), ready to slice yourself. 500 g Serrano taco.

Taux de viande (meat ratio): the amount of fresh meat used to make 100 g of finished product. 140 g for 100 g means the saucisson lost 40% of its weight while drying: a sign of concentration.

Tyrosine: an amino acid that crystallises into small white dots in the flesh of long-cured ham. Not mould, but a sign of quality.

Missing a word? Write to us via the contact page and we will add it.