21 April 2008Ottawa's $1000 hamFrom Ottawa Citizen food columnist Ron Eade’s blog, the tale of the $1,000 ham at La Bottega Nicastro : ****About six kilos of prized Iberico Spanish ham that arrived Friday at La Bottega Nicastro in the ByWard Market has all but sold out in less than 48 hours, despite its eye-popping price of $20 for 100 grams, owner Pat Nicastro tells me today. In fact, that single ham had a retail value of more than $1,000. It seems a _ lot _ of people heard about it on this blog.…The prized ham takes up to three years from the time the animal is slaughtered until it is cured and ready for the plate, compared to between nine and 12 months for Canadian versions of ordinary prosciutto. But, then again, Canadian prosciutto costs $2.50 for 100 grams, Italian prosciutto and Spanish Serrano costs about $5, and this special Iberico costs $20.Read more…**Related: ** Ottawa Food Guide