Rich Vietnamese 'hunt' for salted pork for nearly 700,000 VND per tael

Each 100 gram slice of premium salted pork costs nearly 700,000 VND but is still sought after by the rich.

Unlike the regular Jamon or Ham sold in supermarkets, recently, many wealthy customers in Vietnam are looking to buy this type of salted meat that costs nearly 700,000 VND per 100 gram slice. Even families with large villas are willing to spend nearly ten million VND to buy a salted ham leg to keep.

“This meat is Spanish Jamon Iberico. In Vietnam now, many villas with bars or wine cellars want to have a ham hanging on a rack to eat gradually, which is considered a classy and quality way to enjoy it,” said Mr. Quang, a trader in imported high-end foods.

Currently, a ham leg aged for 24 months costs about 1.8 million to 2.5 million VND per kilogram, depending on the front or back leg. The leg aged for 36 months costs from 2.2 million to 3.8 million VND per kilogram for the whole leg. The boneless leg is even more expensive. In addition, to serve those with low demand or to try it, the market also has a 100-gram thin cut packaged in Spain for prices from 450,000 to 680,000 VND.

A 100 gram slice of packaged salted pork costs from 450,000 to 680,000 VND.

According to the survey, there are only about 2-3 importers supplying the entire market. Of which, the largest importer only brings in a maximum of a few hundred pork legs per month because the supply from Spain is quite limited. The rarity combined with the deliciousness also contributes to stimulating demand for this product.

Imports are small, so sales channels are quite limited. This type of salted meat is currently only sold in Western-style restaurants, online and directly to consumers for regular customers. In the supermarket system, 2 units specializing in selling high-end products, An Nam Gourmet and Dinh Phong, provide it.

“It is only sold in famous bars in some big cities around the world. Only when a customer orders, the seller starts cutting the meat from the ham, which is placed horizontally on a separate shelf. There are restaurants in Spain where only one employee is trained to cut the thin slices of meat above,” chef Thanh Tung, also known as Tung Xich Lo, said about the rarity of this type of cured meat not only in Vietnam but also in the world.

Although both rare and expensive, the business situation of this product is quite good. According to Ms. Dao Thi Ha Vy - CEO of Gourmetfood, due to the increase in urban income, many types of food considered the most premium in the world are now appearing and being welcomed in Vietnam.

“Vietnam is a very open consumer market, eager to explore new and unique things in the world. Therefore, high-end products such as Australian abalone, Iberico pork, Japanese beef, foie gras, Iberico jambon, caviar, etc. will have an increasingly large position thanks to the income of the majority of urban people, which has increased significantly in the past 5 years,” Ms. Vy commented.

In Europe, Iberico ham costs from 500 euros to 1,500 euros per kilogram. The price is high because of the elaborate way of raising and processing the pigs. These pigs must spend at least 4 months free-range in oak forests, finding their own acorns and natural vegetables. During this time, they must gain at least 40 kg compared to the beginning and be 12 months old before they are ready to be salted.

The ham is marinated in sea salt for about 2 to 3 weeks, then the outer layer of salt is washed off and kept at a temperature of 3-6 degrees Celsius to allow the salt to penetrate deep inside. After that, the ham is hung up to ferment naturally, ripen and dry in a cool room for 6-9 months. Finally, it is aged for 24 months (Iberico CEBO) to 36 months (Iberico Bolleta), at a temperature of 10-20 degrees Celsius before being packaged and sold.

According to VNE