Discover the Unparalleled Quality of Joselito

Joselito brings together everything that defines great Spanish ham: free-range pigs raised in the dehesa, a curing method unchanged for a century, and the patience to let time do the work.

Every piece is made with only ham and sea salt, then left to mature for years in the natural drying rooms and cellars of Guijuelo. What makes Joselito especially compelling is that it is still a family house, run by the sixth generation of the family that founded it in 1868.

What makes Joselito special

  • Pigs from the family’s own genetics, raised free-range in the dehesa.
  • Only two ingredients: ham and sea salt, with no preservatives or additives.
  • Gran Reserva hams cured for at least 48 months, usually four to six years.
  • Every ham checked by hand with the cala before it leaves the cellar.
  • Served in leading restaurants and gourmet shops in 56 countries.

Joselito carries the title “Declared the Best Ham in the World” on every label. You will find it in our exceptional Spanish ham and charcuterie selection.

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José Gómez Martín among Joselito hams in the cellar

The People Behind Joselito

The Gómez family has made Joselito in Guijuelo, Salamanca, for six generations. Today the fifth generation, the siblings José, Juan Luis, Cristina and María Aránzazu Gómez Martín, leads the house, with José as president and CEO and Juan Luis as CEO. The sixth generation has already joined: José Gómez Sánchez is the brand manager.

“We have smelled ham since we were children, it is in our blood,” says José Gómez Martín. “You learn without meaning to, because the school is at home.”

How Joselito began

In 1868, Vicente Gómez chose Guijuelo for its cold, dry mountain air and began curing hams and charcuterie there. In those days hams were sold without brands or labels, much like wine sold in bulk.

His descendants built the house step by step. One generation gave the products a name, bought the first dehesas to raise the family’s own pigs and opened stores in Barcelona and Seville. Juan José Gómez, the fourth generation, professionalised the company and added more land. The Joselito name followed, and in the 1980s the hams crossed their first border, to England.

José Gómez reading a Joselito ham with the cala in the cellar

The Art of Curing at Joselito

Joselito production lasts only a few months each year, and the method has not changed in a century. After salting, the pieces rest in natural drying rooms where more than 1,000 windows are opened and closed so the mountain air of Gredos, Béjar and the Sierra de Francia can set the temperature and humidity.

Then comes the cellar, a century-old ecosystem of yeasts and some 42 different moulds that work slowly on the fat. Every ham is checked by hand with the cala, a fine bone probe that the cellar master reads by its aroma, and only leaves when it is ready.

Why this matters

  • Natural curing, set by the climate rather than by machines.
  • A minimum of four years in the cellar, up to seventeen for the rarest pieces.
  • Each ham judged individually by the cellar master.
  • Every ham presented by its vintage, like a great wine.
  • No shortcuts: ham and sea salt, nothing else.

“Its preparation is the old way, as it was a hundred years ago. What you have to do is not spoil it.” José Gómez Martín

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A Gastronomic Ritual from Guijuelo

Each Joselito ham reflects the heritage of Guijuelo, the Spanish town most closely tied to the art of curing, and the discipline of a family devoted to natural, additive-free production. Carving a whole ham at the table is a ritual in Spain: slow, generous and made to be shared.

  • Free-range pigs raised for around two years in the dehesa
  • Cured with only sea salt and time, for four years or more
  • Free from preservatives and additives, gluten free and lactose free
  • Presented by vintage, so every year has its own character
  • A considered choice for those who value provenance, patience and craft

Joselito brings together the landscape of the dehesa, the mountain climate of Guijuelo and the knowledge of a family that has done nothing else for more than 150 years.

Joselito: The Benchmark of Spanish Ham

Joselito is the reference point for many of the world’s great chefs and food lovers. Its range covers the whole leg, the shoulder and a short list of charcuterie made from the same pigs and the same patience.

ProductCuringCharacter
Gran Reserva Ham48 months or moreSilky texture, deep aroma of acorn and nuts, very long finish
Gran Reserva ShoulderMore than 24 monthsJuicy, finely marbled, balanced flavour
Caña de LomoAbout 6 monthsTender whole loin with paprika and garlic
ChorizoAbout 6 monthsCoarse cut, a 100-year-old recipe with paprika and garlic
Vintage Ham8 years or moreThe rarest pieces, intense umami and melting fat

Its glossy, fluid fat and long, persistent flavour reflect the years each piece has spent in the cellar. Rather than an everyday ingredient, Joselito is usually saved for the moments that deserve it.

How to Enjoy Joselito

Joselito is at its best served simply, at room temperature, in thin slices cut by hand. Take it out of the cold a while before serving so the fat softens and the aroma opens.

MomentHow to Enjoy
At the tableCarve a whole ham on a stand, in thin slices about 3 to 4 cm wide, each with a fine edge of white fat.
AperitivoServe a plate of ham, caña de lomo and chorizo with good bread, almonds and a glass of fino sherry or Champagne.
CelebrationsA whole Gran Reserva ham on a Joselito holder becomes the centre of a dinner, a wedding or the holidays.
GiftingA charcuterie selection box or a whole leg is a gift that is remembered long after it is finished.

The depth and purity of Joselito make it ideal for those who see ham not just as food, but as a moment to share.

Joselito pigs under the holm oaks of the dehesa

Sustainable and Ethical Practices at Joselito

At Joselito, caring for the dehesa is part of the product itself. The pigs, which the family calls its Happy Pigs, live freely for around two years in this ancient landscape of holm oaks, cork oaks and pasture, with about three hectares each, the space of three football pitches.

In the montanera season, from autumn into winter, they move from tree to tree feeding on acorns and grass. The family practises regenerative grazing, resting the land and returning nutrients to the soil, and runs a reforestation programme that plants tens of thousands of new oaks every year.

Their approach

Joselito’s research centre in Jerez de los Caballeros studies the dehesa and the animals, using what the family calls Pig Data to understand the montanera and the aromas it gives the ham. By looking after the trees, the soil, the water and the biodiversity of the dehesa, Joselito protects the landscape that makes its ham possible, for the generations still to come.

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Declared the Best Ham in the World

Joselito has earned its reputation in the kitchens of the world’s great chefs. Ferran Adrià calls it “a unique ham, perfect”, and Seiji Yamamoto of Ryugin in Tokyo speaks of working with “the best ham in the world”. Through JoselitoLab, chefs including Massimiliano Alajmo, Jonnie Boer, Joachim Wissler, Yannick Alléno, Bittor Arginzoniz and Eneko Atxa have created new dishes with its products. In 2018, its 150th year, Joselito celebrated at Madrid’s Teatro Real and received Spain’s Premio Nacional de Gastronomía.

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Sunset over the dehesa

The Story of Guijuelo and the Dehesa

Guijuelo, in the province of Salamanca, sits between three mountain ranges: Gredos, Béjar and the Sierra de Francia. Their cold, dry winds give the town a climate that has made it one of the great names of Spanish ham curing for well over a century.

The pigs, meanwhile, live in the dehesa of western Spain: a landscape shaped by people and animals over centuries, where scattered holm and cork oaks stand over open pasture. It is one of the most valuable ecosystems in Europe, and the source of the acorns that give Joselito its character.

Why Guijuelo and the dehesa stand out

  • A cold, dry mountain climate ideal for slow, natural curing.
  • Open woodland of holm and cork oaks rich in acorns.
  • Space for the pigs to roam, explore and feed naturally.
  • A balance between land, animals and people kept for generations.
  • A curing tradition handed down from parent to child.

What makes Joselito especially interesting is that these elements work together. The ham is not the result of one secret, but of a landscape, a climate and a family that have never been in a hurry.

Frequently Asked Questions About Joselito

  • What is Joselito?

    Joselito is a family-owned Spanish ham house founded in 1868 in Guijuelo, Salamanca, and now run by the fifth and sixth generations of the Gómez family. It is known for hams and charcuterie made from free-range pigs and cured with only sea salt.

  • Why is Joselito called "Declared the Best Ham in the World"?

    It is the title Joselito carries on every label, built over more than 150 years. Its hams are served in leading restaurants and gourmet shops in 56 countries, and chefs such as Ferran Adrià and Seiji Yamamoto have described it in those terms.

  • What goes into a Joselito ham?

    Only ham and sea salt. Joselito uses no preservatives or additives, and its products are gluten free and lactose free.

  • How long are Joselito hams cured?

    Gran Reserva hams are cured for at least 48 months, usually between four and six years. The rarest Vintage pieces stay in the cellar much longer, up to seventeen years.

  • How should I store and serve a whole Joselito ham?

    Keep the whole ham in a dry place at 20 to 25 °C, away from direct heat. Serve it at room temperature in thin slices, and cover the cut surface with its own fat and cling film between servings.

Explore the Joselito Collection

The Joselito range brings together whole Gran Reserva hams and shoulders, charcuterie from the same free-range pigs, and the carving tools that do them justice. Each product fits naturally into a table built around sharing, slow pleasure and Spanish tradition.
Whether you are carving your first whole ham or adding to a well-loved charcuterie board, Joselito offers a clear and distinctive identity.
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JOURNAL

Know What You’re Tasting

The Journal is where we go deeper into the stories and knowledge behind the collection, so you can understand what makes a product distinctive before it ever reaches the table.

It is a place to understand the details that matter, and the reasons a product earns its place with us.

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