Jamón ibérico from field to plate - in pictures

An Iberian pig walks down a street in the village of La Alberca, Spain. The pig is free to roam in the village until it is sacrificed on 21 January in a village raffle, with the proceeds going to a local charity Photograph: Denis Doyle/Getty Images

An Iberian pig waddles back to its pen in La Alberca Photograph: Denis Doyle/Getty Images

Siesta time: a La Alberca pig takes a break during its busy day Photograph: Denis Doyle/Getty Images

Pigs feed on fallen acorns at a farm in the village of Cespedosa, Spain Photograph: Denis Doyle/Getty Images

Children in La Alberca play with one of the local free-roaming pigs Photograph: Denis Doyle/Getty Images

Faustino Prieto, owner of a small family-run jamón ibérico business, is photographed with his wife Candy Guerrero Jimenez beside a mural of themselves, and their pure-breed pigs, at their home in Cespedosa Photograph: Denis Doyle/Getty Images

An Iberian piglet looks out from its pen at the Fermin Jamones farm in La Alberca, Spain. Fermin Jamones was the first Spanish company to be given an export licence for the lucrative US market Photograph: Denis Doyle/Getty Images

A man checks legs of jamón ibérico de bellota (acorn-fed Iberian ham) at his small family jamón business in the town of Guijuelo, Spain. Jamón ibérico de bellota is usually dry-cured for up to three years after the pigs have been fed on a diet of sweet acorns in the last three months of their lives Photograph: Denis Doyle/Getty Images

A worker from the Estrella de Castilla factory checks a row of dry-cured jamón ibérico de bellota in Guijuelo. The factory employs about 300 people Photograph: Denis Doyle/Getty Images

Faustino Prieto inspects legs of dry-cured jamón ibérico de bellota in the village of Cespedosa, He, along with his fellow jamon producers, hopes for increased sales over Christmas Photograph: Denis Doyle/Getty Images

Shoppers in Madrid admire the window display of Alberto Lopez Araque's jamón ibérico store Photograph: Denis Doyle/Getty Images

Remember me? A figurine of an Iberian pig sits on the weighing scales at Alberto Lopez Araque's jamón ibérico shop in Madrid, Spain Photograph: Denis Doyle/Getty Images

Two legs of dry-cured jamón ibérico de bellota hang ready for slicing in the Madrid store Photograph: Denis Doyle/Getty Images