Which ham to give as a gift for each budget: an honest, tier-by-tier guide

When someone comes into the shop to buy ham as a gift, the first question isn't ‘which is the best?’, it's ‘how much do I want to spend?’. And it's the right question, because in each tier there's one choice that hits the mark and another that disappoints. This guide goes tier by tier, from lowest to highest, and for each one we say which format and which quality we recommend and who it works for. You'll find the exact prices on each product page; here we're talking about judgement.

First things first: format matters as much as quality

Ham can be given in three formats: the whole piece (between 7 and 9 kilos for ham, between 4 and 6 for shoulder), the boneless piece (about 3.5 kilos for ham, 2.5 for shoulder, ready for the slicer or the knife without wrestling with the bone) and sliced, in vacuum-packed 100-gram packs. Giving a whole piece to someone who lives alone and has no ham stand is giving them a problem; giving packs to a family celebrating Christmas at home falls short. Think first about who is receiving it; then about the tier.

Under €50: the small gift that gets enjoyed to the last bite

This is where packs and small pieces rule. Two or three 100-gram packs of Iberico grain-fed (de cebo) or free-range grain-fed (de cebo de campo) ham, an Iberico acorn-fed (de bellota) chorizo or salchichón vela (600 grams, appetiser size), a pack of sliced beef cecina or a bottle of early-harvest olive oil. It's the gift for a colleague, a friend you've invited or the ‘thank-you’ gesture that doesn't want to look too big. A tip: better one good product than three mediocre ones. A pack of 100% Iberico acorn-fed ham, even just one, is remembered.

Between €50 and €150: the first proper piece

This is the price bracket with the most options, and the one where it is easiest to choose well. Options include a whole Gran Reserva Serrano shoulder from a Duroc cross (a 5–6 kg piece that holds its own on any table), a one-kilo trimmed block of beef cecina (the perfect gift for someone who already knows it), a whole Vivales sheep's cheese, an Iberico grain-fed cured loin (lomo), or an assortment of whole Iberico acorn-fed cured sausages. It is a gift for family, the in-laws or a client you want to thank without going overboard.

Between €150 and €300: the Iberico shoulder or the grain-fed ham

This is where Iberico is given as a whole piece. The Iberico grain-fed or free-range grain-fed shoulder (50% Iberico breed), whole or boneless, the Iberico acorn-fed shoulder, or the Iberico grain-fed ham, whole or boneless. Our advice from behind the counter: if the recipient will carve with a knife and enjoys the ritual, go for the whole piece; if they have no ham stand or want to open it and eat it without ceremony, boneless. And a trick hardly anyone uses: on the product page you choose the curing point (on the tender side, medium or on the well-cured side), so you can tailor the gift to the recipient's taste.

Over €300: the acorn-fed ham

The Iberico acorn-fed ham (50% Iberico breed) and, above it, the 100% Iberico acorn-fed ham, the only one that can be called ‘Pata Negra’ with the black label. It's the gift you give once and that is remembered: for an anniversary, to close the year with an important client, for the person who really knows their ham. If the budget allows and the recipient isn't going to carve it by hand, the boneless 100% Iberico acorn-fed ham is a very convenient option that sacrifices nothing in flavour.

• Under €50: 100 g packs, vela cured sausages, sliced cecina, olive oil. One good product, not three average ones.
• €50-150: whole Serrano shoulder, cecina block, whole sheep's cheese, Iberico cured loin (lomo).
• €150-300: Iberico shoulder (grain-fed, free-range grain-fed or acorn-fed) or Iberico grain-fed ham, whole or boneless.
• Over €300: Iberico acorn-fed ham or 100% Iberico acorn-fed ham.
• In every tier: think first about who is receiving it and how they are going to carve it.

The best gift isn't the most expensive ham: it's the one the other person can enjoy to the last slice without any fuss.