Unlike the better known "jambon de Bayonne" (or Bayonne ham) which, though cured locally, can be made from any type of pig raised anywhere in France, Oteiza's more savory "jambon de porc Basque" can only be made with his beloved Basque pigs.
The pigs' foraging diet gives the meat -- a darker blackish-red than most cured hams -- a special flavor and texture.
"It's method of drying, and the type of pig give it a flesh that is particularly tender and finely marbled. Its flavor has a hint of hazelnut," says Alain Souliac, chef at Alain Ducasse's luxury rural inn, the Auberge Ostapi, in nearby Bidarray.
Souliac serves the ham at breakfast, with brioche, a flaky buttered bread, or on top of scrambled eggs.
Oteiza also sells to other luxury hotels and restaurants, as well as in his own network of stores (www.pierreoteiza.com). About 10 percent of his production is exported, mainly to Japan and elsewhere in Europe.
At US$198 for 7kg, a whole leg of jambon de porc Basque sells for nearly twice as much as another cured ham Oteiza makes from locally raised "ordinary" white pigs.
Today the Basque pigs of the Aldudes Valley are officially recognized as a pure breed. Oteiza has also applied for a prized "appellation d'origine controlee," a government-certified guarantee of origin that would bring official recognition of the special quality of the pig and its affinity with its native land.
Next February Oteiza will once again go to the annual agriculture fair in Paris where he first spotted the Basque pigs. Except this time he will be the one exhibiting them.
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