Better late than never. Four years after the U.S. Department of Agriculture lifted its ban on the famed jamón ibérico, the most prized of Spanish hams, Greenwich now has its own team of importers.
Greenwich native Josh Merrow and partner Guy Spriggs, featured in a recent profile in Greenwich Citizen, are the brains behind Hamlovers.com, a company that imports Serrano and Iberian hams for $250 to $2,000.
Merrow, who appropriately lives in Barcelona, can’t speak highly enough about Spain’s most iconic of cured meats, including the jamón ibérico, which gets its distinct flavor from black-footed, free range pigs raised on acorns.
“Spanish hams have an indescribable butter taste,” Merrow told the Greenwich Citizen. “You cut the ham in paper thin slices, and savor it like a good caviar. It’s hard to put it on your plate – you want to put it in your mouth.”
While visiting our daughter in Granada Spain in November, I purchased a 1 kilo package which was sealed at the store. Upon arriving at JFK customs (where I declared the ham) I was sent to a second inspector. He proceeded to cut open the package with a razor and slice it multiple. He said it was an illegal package and would be destroyed. Acted like the Gestapo, enjoying his work.