As Christmas approaches, the hams come out!! Florencio Sanchidrián, (pictured below) is widely recognized as one of the world’s greatest cortadores de jamón (ham cutters). If you are interested, this video produced by The New York Times is interesting… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eft3LIlHU0Y. A rock star of the ham world (yes, he’s been called that!!), he travels the globe slicing the thinnest slivers possible and commanding a fee of €3,700 ($4,000) a ham. His clients have included Barack Obama, George W. Bush, a couple of Popes, Robert Redford, and Al Pacino. The most expensive hams in the world sell for $4,500 per leg. The most expensive leg ever sold was for €11,881 in Japan. See my prior blog, “Hams,” to read about types of ham. This is the guy!
Another fun fact, research has shown that ham from Iberian pigs fed on an acorn diet provides a rich source of oleic acid, so the mono-unsaturated fat in the ham actually lowers bad cholesterol. Only virgin olive oil has a higher oleic acid, hence the local nickname for the pigs as “olives on legs.”
Stupidly, this week, I bought a bunch of packs of vacuum-packed, fancy, expensive sliced ham to take to the States for gifts before I figured out you can’t take it into the US unless it’s FDA-approved. Damn. I remembered, after the fact, that a friend told me there were ham dogs at the airport. They weren’t looking for drugs, just ham!
New Shitters 2023!
The new shitters are out for 2023! See my prior blog on “Poopers.” Yep, every year they bring out some newbies. I’m not surprised Barbie or Netanyahu and Elon Musk would join the group this year, but Cleopatra? Why has she been passed over in the past? Has she been in the headlines lately? Weird.
Tonight I wandered through Barcelona. It’s a beautiful city every day, but it’s very beautiful at Christmas. I’d been wanting to go see the Sagrada Familia at Christmas-time for years, so tonight, I walked there after dinner and took in all the magic.
Have the happiest of holidays!!! I’m off to the U.S. tomorrow for the birth of my third grandson and to celebrate with family. Merry Christmas, Feliz Navidad, Joyeux Noel and Bon Nadal to all!! I’ll be back at ya…
Susie's Senior Year Abroad 