Ibérico

Meanings

1. 1adjectivebefore a nounspecialist

   Describing ham or pork from a dark-coated breed of pig raised in Spain and Portugal, prized for its rich flavor.

   Grammar: Goes before a noun: Ibérico ham, not 'the ham is Ibérico'.

   Patterns

   • Ibérico ham
   • Ibérico pork

   We ordered a plate of thinly sliced Ibérico ham.

   The restaurant serves Ibérico pork with roasted peppers.

   Ibérico pigs roam freely and eat acorns in the final months.

2. 2noununcountablespecialist

   The ham or pork from this breed of pig, or the pig itself, often used without a following noun.

   Grammar: Usually no plural when it means the meat: we tried the Ibérico.

   Patterns

   • the Ibérico

   The waiter recommended the Ibérico with a glass of sherry.

   Ibérico is more expensive than regular cured ham.

   She spent the evening comparing different grades of Ibérico.

Common combinations

Ibérico ham

A slice of Ibérico ham melts in your mouth.

Ibérico pork

The chef grilled Ibérico pork with lemon.

acorn-fed Ibérico

Acorn-fed Ibérico is the most prized grade.

Ibérico pig

An Ibérico pig has a distinctive black hoof.

cured Ibérico

We shared a platter of cured Ibérico.

Synonyms and how they differ

jamón

Jamón is the Spanish word for ham in general; Ibérico points to one prized type among them.

serrano

Serrano is a more widely available Spanish cured ham, usually cheaper and lighter in flavor than Ibérico.

Word family

Iberia proper noun

the peninsula containing Spain and Portugal

Iberian adjective

relating to Iberia

bellota noun

the top grade of Ibérico ham, from acorn-fed pigs

Commonly confused: Ibérico or Iberian?

Practice

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