When Pigs Fly
How passion, adventure, and a little twist of fate brought two Spanish entrepreneurs together and led them on a unique journey towards The American Dream.
Jamón ibérico is one of Spain’s most beloved traditions. I call it a tradition because it is not just ham or food, but a shared, cherished experience. It is the most expensive ham in the world, and it embodies the most important pieces of Spanish culture: fine craftsmanship, slow dining, and a rich, textured history.
The creation of this inimitable delicacy requires the use of distinguished black-hoofed Iberian pigs, a temperate climate (usually the southwest Spanish countryside) and time. Plenty of time.
These unique factors work together to create a culinary masterpiece. Each paper-thin slice exudes such a complexity of flavors that words cannot do justice. The fat marbled throughout makes it melt on the tongue. The earthy and nutty flavors of the acorns swiftly follow, and the salt is never too much, but always just enough.
Ever since I can remember, I had a deep yearning to share this culinary jewel with the world. I was inspired by the movement of fine European wine to Napa Valley following the repeal of Prohibition. And my own longing for a piece of home when I traveled outside of Spain. Little did I know, there was someone else who shared this aspiration with me. Manuel Murga and I did not know each other, but we both had endeavored, on our own, to be the first to introduce this exquisite product and time-honored Spanish tradition to the United States. We both had come to believe that our cherished jamón — and the culinary experiences around it — would fit perfectly within the American way of life.
Manuel had already spent a year researching the best environment in which to raise the Iberian pigs on American soil. South Texas — with its temperate climate, large Oak trees and a copious amount of acorns — reigned supreme. However, the financial crisis of 2008 halted Manuel’s initial attempt. Then, through a serendipitous introduction from a mutual friend, we met each other. A fifteen-minute chat led to a business partnership of a lifetime.
We knew that bringing jamón ibérico to America would be no easy feat. The only other forerunner who brought Spanish pigs across the Atlantic was the original pioneer himself, Christopher Columbus. By being the first to do so nowadays, we were putting our business reputations and the finances of our family and investors at risk. But it was a risk we were willing to take for the sake of our shared dream.
The journey was not an easy one. Multiple delays during the quarantine period in Spain threw off our initial travel schedule. When we finally received the clearance and boarded the pigs, a mechanical issue with the plane sent our flight back to Europe before we could cross the Atlantic.
Though we’ve all had our fair share of travel nightmares, every setback seems to be amplified when your cargo is living and breathing pigs — 150 of them, to be exact. But as with any great story worth telling, we continued on, and fate stepped in and took a turn.
To Ramón at the Vueling counter in Spain I will be forever grateful. To the KLM Airline attendants that loaded and unloaded our pigs four separate times at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam we have to thank. And we are even thankful for a disgruntled fellow passenger upset due to the delay we had caused for the entire flight — a passenger who eventually became enamored with our story.
We touched down in New York City on a moonlit August night. Worn down from a messy and stressful transatlantic journey preceded by a range of bureaucratic nightmares, Manuel and I looked at each other ecstatically, and we commiserated in our self-aware insanity.
“We are crazy. We are really, really crazy,” is the line I recall uttering to him on that pale-lit evening as we saw each and every pig being unloaded onto American soil for the first time.
After a month at the Quarantine Station in Rock Tavern, New York, the next phase of our journey was the twenty-eight hour drive from New York to Texas. Nothing was going to stop us now. To this day, I remember the hot, humid drive with much fondness.
Now that we were officially in the US, a curious thing happened. Investors that had previously passed on us now wanted a piece of the action! This is a dream every startup hopes for but usually is never given the satisfaction of realizing, proving just how big of a milestone we had reached. I will admit, the validation felt great.
Sitting at the farm in Texas, and having seen the number of these pigs exponentially multiply after touching down a year ago — I can’t help but be blown away by the opportunity to live this dream. It is the best thing that has happened to me in terms of business, by far. It’s just cool.
We were told we were crazy, we were told it couldn’t be done. Though the battle is far from over, we have done it; we’ve made it here and the aspiration has become a reality.
We were told “you can achieve the American dream when pigs fly.”
Well then.
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Sergio Marsal Colom, President & CEO Acornseekers
