The Third Milestone’s the Charm
Ah, the American dream. It’s a beautiful thing, isn’t it? Together my business partner Manuel and I have set out to achieve it. And we are on our way.
Jamón Ibérico de bellota is a culinary treasure from my native Spain. It is the finest ham in the world — it tastes sweet yet nutty, its texture is hearty yet buttery, and it is some of the purest food anywhere. And we just hit another major milestone toward our dream of crafting this fine delicacy for the first time ever in the USA.
Pork products have long been produced here and remain a staple in American diets. However the coveted Spanish “de bellota” kind has never been cultivated on American soil. That is…until now. If you are lucky enough to have yourself a piece of this fine meat, it requires little to nothing in order to maximize the flavor experience. All of the work goes into crafting this culinary jewel long before it reaches your plate.
That’s the reason that this specific type of jamón has not been produced anywhere outside of the Iberian peninsula until now. We’ve already completed the first big milestones:
1. Fly 150 black-hooved Iberian pigs from Spain to the US.
2. Set up our very own ibericus farm on the perfect acorn-laden spot in Flatonia, Texas.
And now, we’re tackling the third:
3. Build the finest facilities to ensure the products we produce here will be every bit as remarkable as promised.
The special facilities needed to cure our meat are very unique, and modeled after the temperate climate of the Spanish countryside. Following the age old traditions that have taken place in Spain for centuries, we are setting out to create first-of-its-kind facilities in Columbus, Texas.
This will be where the prized hind leg of jamón will be salted and left to rest. Typically, it will rest for one day for every 2 lbs of meat of which it consists. (As the average leg is 14 lbs, this process typically lasts a week.) During the subsequent two years, the meat will be delicately moved and placed into different areas which will be set at unique temperatures and humidity levels, mimicking the seasons that used to naturally do the work in the traditional way.
We take this very seriously, because jamón ibérico de bellota is not just a food product in Spain, it is a way of life, a cultural cornerstone. We at Acornseekers have a big responsibility to ensure that the meat introduced to the USA is no less. We also have a responsibility to maintain one of our founding pillars of sustainability. These facilities, in addition to being state-of-the-art replica of the best in Spain will be equipped to ensure we keep energy consumption and CO2 emissions to a minimum.
We recently launched a Kickstarter campaign to ensure our big idea can be supported in both big and small ways. We couldn’t be more excited to introduce this product to America, and if you have the means to donate, your support would mean the world to us! But regardless of whether you donate or are simply intrigued by our endeavors, we welcome you to the Acornseekers family with open arms.
Sergio Marsal Colom President & CEO, Acornseekers
