Monte Nevado - Segovia - Castiglia Leòn - Spain

Monte Nevado is a family owned and run company that has been in the production of Spanish Jamon for four generations. In 1898, in his efforts to escape the Cuban war, Juan Olmos moved to Spain; he was unemployed and began to work as a butcher. Within few years he became the most important producer of cured ham. After Juan the company was led by Vicente, the son, and then by his grandson Miguel. Generation after generation the company has grown to become one of the best-known companies in Spain for the production of high quality Jamon Serrano. Monte Nevado is part of Consorcio Serrano, a private entity which guarantees the quality of the entire production chain, starting from the pigs breeding to the maturing of the hams. Today the company is led by Juan Vicente Olmos, whose history is strictly linked to the recovery of the Mangalica, a breed of pigs with thick hair and a meat very rich in fat, what contributes the most in the production of high quality Jamon. In the 90's Juan Vicente, Miguel's son, traveled in many places in order to find new races of pigs to use in his production. In 1991, in Hungary, he discovered the Mangalica race. At that time there were only 300 heads across the country. Today the breed is saved from extinction and there are over 30,000 animals raised in the Hungarian nature.