jamon, jamon, jamon

This appetizing leg of pig is known as 'Jamon Iberico' and you can find it or its less luxurious counterpart 'Jamon Serrano' in almost any Spanish kitchen. These famous cured hams are staples of the Spanish diet. When I was in Spain, I generally ate Jamon Iberico, also known as pata negra, because the woman I lived with was a ham snob-she only ate the best of the best. Jamon Iberico comes from the black Iberian pig, which resides in the southernmost regions of Spain. There are different types of Jamon Iberico, the best of which is Jamon Iberico de Bellota. The pigs that produce this incredibly tasty but expensive meat are fed only acorns in a free-range environment. These pigs live a life most other pigs dream about. In other words, they are spoiled rotten! Usually, Jamon Iberico is dried and preserved for up to 4 years before enjoyed. Its legal entry into the United States came in 2007, and the more desirable Jamon Iberico de Bellota arrived a year later, in 2008. Before that, most of us were unaware of Jamon Iberico's greasy greatness.

Imagine my surprise upon arriving in Spain last year, entering my senora's kitchen for the first time, and laying eyes on a black-hoofed beauty innocently perched atop the counter...

If you're looking for good cured ham in the Boston area, check out Tasca or Dali, two of my favorite Spanish restaurants.

Only A Moon Away...

(Top) The Moon in Madrid, February 2008 vs. (Bottom) The Moon in Boston, February 2009. A year later and an ocean apart, and the moon still insists on hiding behind the trees...
I took the first picture of the teardrop-shaped 'Spanish' moon last year when studying abroad in Madrid. I took such a picture, which may not seem all that remarkable in its own right, to curb my homesickness. Seeing the moon reminded me that my friends and family back in Boston would see the same moon six hours later, a thought which shrunk the distance between us. I very clearly remember the night I snapped this photo. The air did not demand that I wear a jacket, but it was crisp enough to remind me that spring was not yet on the horizon. When photographing the moon a year later in Boston, the air was significantly cooler. After all, the average temperature in Madrid in February is 52 degrees whereas in Boston, it's a chilly 38. Both picture-snapping occasions called my attention to the simple beauty of the moon. In all cultures and in all countries, it's to a universal source of beauty. It's a constant.

As you read my blog, which aims to compare and contrast the vibrant cities of Madrid and Boston, I ask that you recall this post and remember: we all look at the same moon. Whether you're in Spain or across the Atlantic Ocean in America, the moon remains unchanged. There are just some things that transcend cultural borders...

Spanish and English speakers alike, I recommend the song CaraLuna ('Face of the Moon' or 'Moonface') by the Latin American pop group Bacilos.