I Know I’m In Spain When… I See A Ham Shop

This one’s for Anna 🙂  …and, come to think of it, Linda! Two true pork aficionados.

Ham shop in Toledo's main shopping street

Ham shop in Toledo’s main shopping street

Part of their window display

Their window display

72 thoughts on “I Know I’m In Spain When… I See A Ham Shop

      1. Bastet

        Oh my Pecora Nera…sounds like you live in Italy! And I resolved my printer problem getting a laser printer…ink lasts longer, but through the internet you can get toner fo 1/4 the cost of any shop in my area of Italy (maybe I exaggerated a tad) As for bacon, I get pretty close to proper bacon at the LIDL…

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      2. Pecora Nera

        99% of what goes on in Italy baffles me. Not just the language but the way the system works. The classic example is :If you enter a official office and you are told, your request is not possible, the best course of action is to wait 24 hours go back and try again. The chances are the answer will be sign here €50 please… ciao

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      3. ladyofthecakes Post author

        Yup, there’s some of this here in Spain, too. In the end, things do seem to work, but unless you know the system and have endless patience, it’s a total fag! In the beginning, I assumed it was due to the language barrier, but I’ve cracked that now, and I know it’s not that.

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      4. Pecora Nera

        Initially the problem for me was I expected the system to work a little like the UK, ha ha ha he says as he falls of his chair.

        Last week we went to poste italia to close a bank account we no longer use. The took €87 from us and said when they finish the paperwork they will refund us any money left over.
        I asked if she would send the money to our new bank or a cheque to our house. She shrugged and said next please…

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  1. Anna

    Lol, Anna was indeed on a horse (and left her riding crop on the train bc it was a very spunky competition horse who had me 10 days till Sunday [I guess next Sunday?] and I fell asleep from exhaustion on my way home…..) ANYWAY.

    Yes, the ham. Does anyone actually buy those ham legs? Have you ever seen anyone walk out of the store with one? How do we know they are not props, or are not 10 years old? And if you DO buy this leg, what the F do you do with it? I wouldnt even know from which angle to come at it!
    PS – not actually a fan of jamon serrano. It tastes just…weird. Funky. I like Spanish cheeses so much more.

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    1. ladyofthecakes Post author

      Yes, they do buy them, and yes they are real (though in some places they aren’t). You can buy a special carving stand to mount them on. All the bars have them, and they cut slices off as they go.
      Obviously, if you’re a two-person household, you wouldn’t buy an entire leg like that. But for a family, it makes sense.
      Gosh, without the crop, how you’re going to fend off the cerberus?

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      1. Anna

        HA! Now THIS is something that might keep Cerberus subdued! (Tho for reals, we might send him to behavioral camp bc he’s been really aggressive with me)

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    2. rigaenglish

      Yeah I used to buy the ham legs in the winter when I lived in Valencia. It was cheaper than buying individual packs and they looked cool hanging in your flat. I bought two kilos of jamon iberico to bring back to Latvia when I was in Spain last month, there’s still a kilo of it left in the fridge and I’m seeing how long I can hold out, that stuff is addictive

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  2. pollyheath

    Oh man, this is totally terrifying to me. But I do like the image of someone actually staggering out of the shop with one of those suckers.

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  3. gina4star

    Hehe, I liked this, and then I wasn’t sure why I did. As a vegetarian, these Spanish ham shops are like my idea of hell. Maybe it was for the Spanishness of it… I like it but I unlike my like… haha if that makes any sense… (nope I know it doesn’t!) It’s Monday morning, and I clearly haven’t fully woken up yet!!! 🙂

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  4. Wanderlushh

    prosciutto!! My flat mate went to spain recently and brought some back, along with some delicious smelly cheese. Hope you enjoyed!

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