These authentic Spanish smallgoods have been perfected in Australia by former engineer, Angel Cardoso.

Jamon serrano (cured raw ham, like Italian prosciutto) made with incredible care from selected pork legs (females are better, says Angel) is cured and air-dried in Angel Cardoso’s magical cellars. He also makes a range of superbly flavoured chorizos and salami, red-orange with Spanish paprika and named for their region of origin. The Pamplona is quite something!

The secret behind the taste and quality of his work, he says, is many many years of trial and error. (‘Thirty three years it took me to perfect my jamon,’ he explains). Thirty-three years and no small dose of dedication, that is. There’s also the sweet naturally occurring mould that forms on the salami, sealing in the flavour and enhancing the curing process. When it comes to the hams, Angel always leaves on a little natural fat to ‘keep the moisture in’ and he doesn’t use too much salt. Brandishing a fine, pointed ham bone which he inserts into the jamon, he can tell by smelling the bone whether the meat is ready. ‘It should smell like apple,’ he says. ‘And if something is wrong, the bone will tell you!’