Although there are many Latin influences at the Spanish restaurants, the food itself is prepared differently than at home (although I'm not exactly sure how authentic the burritos/tacos are in Chicago). The tortilla was prepared differently. It was not a flour tortilla but made of a thicker, fatter wrap.
When I ate the jamon, I felt very Spanish! As I said, the Spaniards are big into ham, and they do it well.
Jamon Iberico is a very traditional dish that has been prepared for millennia. The pig is slaughtered and the leg is taken by a butcher. This leg is then salted and set aside to cure for about a month. This salting process preserves the meat so that it does not spoil throughout the process. After about a month, the leg is then hung to cure further for around a year. As this happens, the salt permeates throughout the meat, producing the distinct flavor of Jamon Iberico!
Yes! Jamon Iberico is a food product deeply connected to the environment. Originally, the only pigs used for this were the native Iberico pig, although that has now changed due to increased demand. Further, Spaniards were able to produce natural dry-cure ham because of their drier mountain climate. Jamon Serrano essentially means "mountain ham," because the hams would dry cure in the Sierras or mountains. Now, hams are dry-cured in large facilities to ensure greater product control.
