Knowing an area’s name helps explain where you are carving and what you have been served. It need not become a list of supposedly best flavours. Orient the leg first and separate the names of its sides from the bones inside.
Maza, babilla and punta name working areas; caña and hoof help orient the leg. A name does not replace secure support or a demonstration around a bone.
Maza and babilla: the two main sides
Maza is the broad, fleshy side; babilla is a narrower area on the other side. These names let you explain where you started. Do not assign identical juiciness or slice size to every leg: look at the actual ham and the progress of carving.
Punta and contramaza: clarify the indicated area
Punta is at the end opposite the hoof, near the hip. Contramaza is another name used for an area on the side opposite the maza; serving vocabulary can vary. Ask the person advising you to point it out on your leg, rather than confusing a customary name with a separate bone.
Jamones Paco Heredia for this article
Current selection from the related collection. Check format, weight and directions on each product page.
Jamones Paco Heredia
Current selection from the related collection. Check format, weight and directions on each product page.
View the collection →Jarrete, caña and hoof: the narrow end
Caña is the narrow section near the hoof; jarrete is found around the joint region. These areas can give more fibrous meat and smaller portions. The hoof identifies the end, but its colour does not certify breed, feeding or commercial category.
The selection follows the Jamones Paco Heredia catalogue. Editorial photographs illustrate formats; check the collection for current products and their details.
Serving areas and bones are different
Femur, tibia and hip bone name bones, not alternatives to maza or babilla. On reaching a hard surface, do not force the long slicing knife to discover its outline. Put the tool aside before repositioning the leg and seek practical help if the manoeuvre is unfamiliar. Illustrative photos are not anatomical diagrams.
Read more
How to slice a whole ham at home: stand to first slices · Parts of an Iberian shoulder: names, bones and slicing areas
Continue choosing
Check presentation and directions in the current collection. Continue choosing.
Sources and checks
BOE.