Jambon noir de Bigorre

Dry-cured ham produced from pure-bred Gascon pigs reared in grassy paddocks within the Bigorre area of the Hautes-Pyrénées and Haute-Garonne. Pigs are slaughtered at no more than 24 months of age; the finished ham weighs a minimum of 5 kg after curing for at least 12 months, retains the trotter, and carries less than 6 % salt and at least 2.5 % intramuscular fat.

About this designation

Registered as a PDO on 14 January 2016 under file number PDO-FR-02105 (eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000015872), 'Jambon noir de Bigorre' is a dried ham made exclusively from pure-bred Gascon pigs. Pigs must be reared in grassy paddocks from the age of six months and slaughtered at an age of at least 12 months and no more than 24 months. The carcase must weigh a minimum of 100 kg, with at least 2.5 % intramuscular fat in the Longissimus dorsi muscle, a ZP fat depth of at least 30 mm, and a ZP muscle depth of at least 45 mm. After weaning, the cereal-based diet must comprise at least 70 % cereal by raw material weight, and the cereals must come from the geographical area. The maximum stocking density during the fattening stage is 20 animals per hectare. The ham is cut in a specific traditional manner: the first cut is rounded, all of the bottom round remains covered in a layer of fat, and half of the aitchbone is retained. The finished ham is produced and cured over a period of at least 20 months, 12 of which take place in a drying room connected with the air outside. It must weigh a minimum of 5 kg after curing, carry at least 30 mm of fat on the exposed part above the head of the femur, contain less than 6 % salt, and have at least 2.5 % intramuscular fat. The geographical area spans municipalities in the departments of Hautes-Pyrénées and Haute-Garonne.

Source: The register document this entry was written from · retrieved August 26, 2026

Distinctive facts

• Registered as a PDO on 14 January 2016 under file number PDO-FR-02105, eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000015872.
• The specification requires curing for at least 20 months in total, with at least 12 months in a drying room open to outside air.
• Pigs must be slaughtered at no more than 24 months of age, and the carcase must weigh a minimum of 100 kg.
• The finished ham must contain less than 6 % salt and at least 2.5 % intramuscular fat, and must weigh a minimum of 5 kg after curing.

Tasting notes

Pyrenean dry-cured ham from Porc Noir de Bigorre breed (rare native black pig), aged minimum 20 months (often 30-36). Very dark meat with rich golden-marbled fat, dense complex texture, intensely flavored with deep umami, walnut, and characteristic chestnut-fed pork notes — France's most prestigious dry-cured ham (limited production).

HoReCa use

Premium tasting-menu antipasto, very thinly sliced; minimal accompaniment to highlight flavor; pairs with Madiran and Pacherenc-du-Vic-Bilh.

Packaging

• whole-leg-bone-in-7-10kg
• whole-leg-boneless-vacuum-5-8kg
• deli-sliced-vacuum-80g
• gift-sliced-pack-100g