1.31.2011

Museo del Jamón - Madrid, Spain

Even if you don't speak Spanish, I am sure one could probably figure out what Museo Del Jamón means. With various locations throughout Madrid, this was one of the places that we visited multiple times during the few days we were in Madrid. Not sure what the Madrileños think of Museo Del Jamón but we really liked it. If you are looking for a place that is quick, cheap, and tasty, you've come to the right place.

As you can see from the pictures, Museo Del Jamón is pretty much a museum of hams. Check out the myriad of hams hanging and the plethora of meats in the deli case.


So here is how it's done. Act like you've done this before, even if you haven't. Walk into the store and go straight to the counter/bar area for drinks and food. Otherwise, go to the deli side and get your various slices of jamón and other deli goods to take away as the Europeans say.


When I say that Museo Del Jamón is cheap, I mean cheap. You can get a bocadillo (bread served with some type of ham) and a beer for about 2E.

Complimentary olives


On a separate visit, we got complimentary tomatoes and bell peppers with small chunks of ham. 


Croissant stuffed tomato and jamón.
The croissant bread was actually crunchy and the addition of the tomatoes and jamón went perfectly together for that salty and slightly sweet and acidic combination.


Bocadillo with jamón and tomato
For the price of this 1,50E bocadillo, I have no complaints whatsoever. Same combination of tomatoes and jamon and bread.


Guess what you wash these sandwiches down with? Cerveza!!! Even the beers at Museo Del Jamón are cheap. Straight from the draft and refreshingly cold. Perfect during those hot days in Madrid.


Turns out for breakfast, you can get a breakfast special: Pan Tumaca with your choice of coffee or beer for only 2 euros~! This deal cannot be beat.  It was pretty funny that a lady sitting next to me was enjoying a cerveza at 9AM in the morning. When in Madrid, do as the Madrileños do.


Pan Tumaca is essentially a slice of toasted bread rubbed or in this case smothered with a tomato paste-like spread, topped with what else, but jamón and a drizzle of olive oil.


Can't have breakfast without eggs right? This was an order of scrambled eggs on top of bread and also included in this breakfast combo was a slice of bread rubbed with tomato and topped with jamón.


Museo Del Jamón is not a fancy pants type of establishment. Food and drinks here are meant to be quick and cheap. If you are looking for a snack in between meals or just don't feel like spending a whole lot of money, this is the place. The Louvre and Prado have nothing on this museum.

2 comments:

Ellie said...

Hi - I have to assume jamón is a type of ham similar to Italian Prosciutto? The dishes look so yummy!! I will have to check at my local meat market to see if I can find jamón and taste it. Great post :)

TNT Adventures said...

Ellie - Yes, you are assuming 100% correctly. The Spanish call it Jamon and not Prosciutto. There are so many different types of Jamon available. It is truly amazing. If you want to try the best of the best for jamon, try out the jamon Iberico de Bellota. These pigs are fed a diet of acorns during the latter stages of their lives. This results in a sweeter and nuttier taste.