The fat that covers the whole surface of the ham has yellow colour, with major or minor intensity according to the maturity cycle. The internal caps, the fat must have a white coloration with a weak yellow shade. The different tonalities are precisely the indicator of the card of trying. The coloration similar to pink can indicate the quality of the ham to us. The fat must be abundant and fluid in a good ham.

      The olfactory dimension of the Iberian ham of acorn is defined by two factors: the intensity and what commonly is named the smell of acorn ham.

      The intensity: the ham must present a few olfactory intense sensations. A high quality ham has a few intense and agreeable aromas.

      Smell of acorn’s ham: It is a smell that for own character and personality, it does not need to attend to any smell of reference. It is not in any other ham or meat product. It is an invisible smell for the neophyte but unmistakably for an expert nose; with the time it manages to be identified.
 

     Both aspects to bear in mind on the texture of a ham are: the hardness of the fat and his fluency. The hardness of the fat: The Iberian pork presents a few qualities of different well fat that the rest of races. The major quality is its major softness, the fat is much softer (smoother) than any other hams.

      The fluency of the fat: It depends on the degree of restoration of the fat. In the hams of Iberian pork it is major due to the concentration of lipids.
 

      When we speak about texture of the loin we refer to the combination and scope of each one of these elements: the dryness, the stringiness, the juiciness and the hardness.

      The dryness: It determines the degree of wateriness of the ham. The Tª, the relative dampness, the process of treatment (healing) and the weight of the piece, they have a clear influence on the water; major all that is the time of ripeness and more discharges the temperatures, minor will be the water presence. The ideal dampness must be lower than 45 %.

      The stringiness: It is in use as measure for determining the trend of the slice to separate in fibres and the resistance of these to losing structure. It depends on the quantity of intramuscular fat and on the size of the faeces of muscular fibres. The Iberian ham, on having presented high indexes of intramuscular fat, should give a sensation of small stringiness, but due to the continued exercise (fiscal year) that the pork realizes in the “open range”, the stringiness is major in the infiltrations of fat of the posterior extremities.

      The juiciness: The dampness that takes place (is produced) when we start chewing (liberating the juices of the meat) and the stimulant effect of the fat on it flow salivating are both factors that compose the sensation of juiciness. All the major juiciness presents a piece, major quality assumes him to the ham.

      The hardness: The hardness on having chewed is much related to the stringiness and the infiltration of major or minor fat. An excessive hardness produces rejection, but our teeth are grateful for certain degree of hardness to increase the time of mastication and this way to favour and to stimulate the secretion of juices you will salivate, very pleasant sensation where they are.

      When we speak about the taste we refer to salt, sweetly or bitterly.

      Salty: to measure the quality of the ham in this respect, we must value two points of view: his not too high content of salt from the nutritional and sensory point of view and his content of salt not too much down related to the microbiological factor (perfect conservation). In case of the Iberian ham, due to his long period of treatment (healing), one tolerates a major content of salt that in other types of ham, but it(he) must never be excessive since it would provoke an immediate rejection of our tastes buds.

      Sweet: This flavour is provoked by a wide variety of elements as amino acids and derivatives of sugars that are capable of provoking a sweet sensation. Along the process of treatment (healing) they do not use sugars, but during the phase of ripeness there take place (are produced) reactions that give place to compounds that yes contribute small sweet sensations very estimated by our palate.

      Bitter: The bitter flavour, it is directly related to the sweet. A lot of substances responsible for the sweet flavour are also of the bitter one. This flavour must not be excessive, since otherwise it would indicate a reduction of time of the process of treatment (healing) or a production (elaboration) with excessively low temperature.

      The definition could be: the complex olfactory sensation that is perceived during the mastication of the ham across the nostrils and the palate, the experts use the word "flavour". The classification of the "flavour" is realized depending on the different degrees:

      The intensity: During the process of ripeness they detach great quantity of volatile substances, many of fragrant them. As it advances the process the aroma is more agreeable and intense.

      The persistence: The permanency of the aroma as soon as the food has disappeared of the mouth is something typical of the Iberian ham of acorn. These lasting aromas, they are mellow (ancient) and piquant (spicy) shades that come of same treated from the ham, but that always must offer us an agreeable persistence.

      The cured aroma: direct Consequence of the employment of nitrites and natural nitrates of the salt during the process of production (elaboration) of the ham (for his due conservation), arises one of the most valued aromas of the Iberian ham of acorn, the aroma has recovered.

      The Iberian Ham of acorn has a quantity of shades and epithets very difficult to enumerate, this gives us an exact idea of the complexity and sensory wealth (richness) of the same one.

      The colour: red Hams presenting more intense and darker will be the highest ranked; indicate that the pig has had a feeding of acorns and has done a good exercise muscle during the open range, thus increasing the natural pigments.

      The brightness: At room temperature, introducing a high percentage of intramuscular fat, a portion of this fat is in a liquid state, spreading across the surface when it cuts the ham. Quickly it is purchased and appreciated brightness characteristic of an Iberian ham from acorn.

      The vetoed: It is a symbol of quality from intramuscular fat ham; shown, the court, at first glance.

      Crystals Tyrosine: amino acids are appearing on the ham at the end of a long maturation. The quality of the piece, speaking always acorns hams, does not depend on the number of these crystals, its mere presence shows are of excellent quality.