The Best and Worst of Everything 2008

Admittedly not much of a best-of moment for either vegetarians or Spanish natives, but for American meat connoisseurs, this was a big year. Jamón Ibérico de Bellota is Spain's equivalent to Italy's prosciutto di Parma. But while Parma ham has been available in the U.S. for some time, Spanish ham producers hadn’t managed to get the complex paperwork in order to get export approval from the Agriculture Dept., according to Jonathan Harris, co-owner of Spanish food e-tailer LaTienda.com. This year that changed, and the pricey cured ham became available in the U.S. at high-end shops and through gourmet Web sites. The meat, from hogs that foraged on acorns, is prized for its deep flavor and rich texture. It retails for around $100 a pound.