The very best ham comes from pig that are fed acorns (bellota) and is referred to as jamon de bellota.
An oak tree can produce, on average, about 44 lbs of annual acorns. To ensure a sufficient food supply, strict guidelines apply to these farming practices, and a minimum of 1 hectare per pig is required. The pigs raised this way are called "100% acorn fed". But they are a
minority making them even more highly prized...
Most Jamon Iberico is not acorn-fed. It is made from Iberico pigs who live normal pig lives eating corn and other feed. It is still an excellent ham, benefiting from the noble lineage of the Iberico pig.
Those pigs who are destined for Bellota status, are sent to roam on natural pasture that cover large expanses of central and southwestern Spain called "The Dehesa".
These natural ecosystems, dotted with holm oak trees provide grasses, grains, tubers, insects, and wild mushrooms, as well as an abundance of acorns (bellotas), that Ibérico pigs consume in great quantities. All of this sets the Ibérico bellota hams apart from other categories of cured pork products.