The Bayonne ham has been a delicacy of France for hundreds of years. Made to exacting specifications in the Southwest of France (and only in the Southwest of France), it is such a regional specialty that it is protected under the European “Protected Geographical Indication” or PGI, meaning that there are strict regulations in place. No other ham in the world can be called a Bayonne ham.
There are approximately 100 Bayonne ham brands produced in Southwest France, states the Bayonne Ham Council. The Council has recently helped four of those brands come to the United States for the first time. The products debuted at the summer Fancy Food Show in June and were touted as the “melt in your mouth” charcuterie. The Council is optimistic that one-quarter of its overall international exports will be to the United States by the year 2020.