Los Pedroches took top honors at the inaugural Jamón World Cup in Ronda, where regular visitors—not industry judges—chose Spain’s best ham. The Córdoba region outperformed Guijuelo, Jabugo, and Extremadura in a direct public tasting.
Los Pedroches has been named “Mejor Jamón del Mundo” at the first Jamón World Cup in Ronda, coming out ahead of Spain’s most famous ham regions in a direct public tasting. Instead of a panel of experts, hundreds of visitors sampled the hams and voted for their favorite.
The event ran from September 4 to 6, 2026, at the Convento de Santo Domingo. Eight producers took part, with two each from Los Pedroches, Guijuelo, Jabugo, and Extremadura. Los Pedroches was represented by Ibedul and Sierra Morena. All hams came from the same vintage, so comparisons were fair across the board.
The event was organized by Enrique Tomás, whose initiative launched the first-ever Mundial del Jamón in Spain.
What made this contest different was its approach to judging. Led by Enrique Tomás, the organizers let the public decide. Attendees paid €15 for a tasting session, tried samples from each region, and then voted for the one they liked best. The idea was to put the decision in the hands of the people who actually buy and eat jamón ibérico.
Thousands came to Ronda for the three-day event, which coincided with the city’s Goyesca festivities. The convent was busy with producers, ham fans, and locals, all sharing the space for tastings, talks, and activities about Spain’s most iconic cured meat.
For Los Pedroches, the win is a big moment. The Córdoba region has often been overshadowed by Guijuelo and Jabugo, which are better known internationally. The award goes to the region as a whole, not to a single company or product. So, the “best ham in the world” title applies to Los Pedroches in this contest, not to every ham from the area.
According to RFEAGAS, the competition format ensured fairness by requiring all hams to be from the same harvest year, minimizing differences between batches. The victory was widely celebrated in Córdoba and the Valle de los Pedroches, regions that have historically received less international recognition compared to Guijuelo and Jabugo. The positive response from Spanish industry associations further validated the result beyond standard news coverage.
The event also included the “Amantes del Jamón” awards, which recognize people who have promoted Spanish ham. This year’s Gold Medals went to Ronda’s mayor María de la Paz Fernández and José Luis “El Turronero”. Fran Rivera, Tana Rivera, and Joan Manuel Serrat also received honors. International names like Brad Pitt, Georgina Rodríguez, Antonio Banderas, David Bisbal, and Elsa Pataky were announced as honorees, though it was not confirmed if they would attend.
For producers, the result is more than just a trophy. It’s a rare chance for public recognition in a field usually shaped by tradition and expert opinion. For visitors, the open format meant they could taste, compare, and decide for themselves, without the usual marketing or prestige. With Ronda’s city council planning to make the event annual, the Jamón World Cup could change how Spain’s most prized food is judged. This year, the public’s taste set the standard—and Los Pedroches gave everyone else something to aim for.
