This post’s “characteristic” is not shared with Morocco.
More than two thousand years ago Roman invaders enthused about the particular excellence of Iberian pork, most especially that from black pigs which ate acorns.
In 2025 Spain is almost certainly the world’s most “porkophiliac” nation.
For visitors who like to eat pigs, Spain is an unbeatable destination.
Q: What do the finest air-cured hams I have ever eaten, the best woodfired pork I have ever tasted and the most delicious slow-cooked pork dish I have ever encountered have in common?
A: All were eaten in Spain.
Sheer excellence is not the only reason that – via la Reconquista – pork came to reign in the cuisine of Spain.
The Spanish Inquisition also played a key role!
With the fall of Granada in 1492, Moorish rule of Al-Andalus was at an end. Of course, having reclaimed Spain, the Christian rulers were not going to allow the population to continue with their heathen ways. Between 1478 and 1834, the infamous Spanish Inquisition was charged with enforcing religious orthodoxy. And in doing so, it played a central role in cementing pork’s role in Spanish society.
With pork not permitted by the Islamic or Jewish faiths, dietary habits were scrutinized closely. Conversos (Jewish converts to Christianity) and Moriscos (Muslim converts) were often suspected of secretly practicing their old religions. One of the most obvious signs of such heresy was the avoidance of pork…
…Because both Judaism and Islam strictly forbade pork, suspicion often fell on those who avoided it. Thus, pork became a political and religious litmus test. Eating pork in public, cooking with lard, or displaying hams in one’s home was seen as a demonstration of genuine Christian faith.
The italicised paragraphs are excerpted from a fascinating essay by Alan Nelson.
Click here to see the full, nicely-illustrated text of his From Heresy to Ham.The Surprising Story of Spain’s Pork Obsession.
I took the photo in Granada on 08 November 2025.
If you look carefully through the premises’ window you can see whole legs of jamón, on display, suspended from the ceiling – a sight common to many thousands of Spain’s bars, restaurants and shops.