In September 2026, restaurants, wine shops and retail outlets in Beijing, Tianjin and Xi'an begin serving thinly sliced Iberian ham with its salty, nutty depth, which comes from the acorns in the diet of the black pigs on Spain's dehesa pastures.
This texture and flavour are born not merely of the meat: the dry climate of Extremadura and Andalusia, the limestone soils and the centuries-old oak groves give the fat a particular sweetish note that cannot be reproduced in other regions. Historical trade routes across the Mediterranean and the Atlantic brought olives, garlic and spices here, while monastic preserving traditions turned them into an ageing technique that has survived to this day.
Behind the festival's counters stand Spanish sommeliers and chefs who bring not only bottles of Rioja with its earthy and cherry notes, but also stories of family bodegas where the grapes are picked by hand on slopes up to 800 metres high. They explain how the microclimate of Rioja Alta gives the wine a structure unavailable to the terroirs of the plains, and how tapas — the small portions born in Andalusian taverns for workers and travellers — became a way of sharing food and time.
Today these products are appearing in China through a network of restaurants and retailers: Iberian ham, aged cheeses, first-press olive oil and wines from regions with protected designations of origin. The Eat Spain Drink Spain festival, running from 23 September, allows Chinese guests to try pairings in which the acidity of Tempranillo balances the fat of the ham, while the light smokiness of Albariño underscores the freshness of seafood in tapas.
The economic interest is obvious: China's growing middle class is seeking authentic European products, and Spanish producers are expanding exports. At the same time, a tension persists between industrial scaling and small family farms, which cannot compete on price but maintain quality through manual labour and old recipes.
To experience the festival fully, one should visit the specialised wine shops and restaurants in the centre of Beijing, Tianjin and Xi'an throughout the event — there they not only serve dishes but also hold tastings with an explanation of the origin of each ingredient.
The taste of Spanish ham and wine in a Chinese city is a reminder that certain combinations of land, climate and human patience remain tied to their place, even when they travel thousands of kilometres.
