de pata negra

Spanish

Etymology

Literally, “black-footed”. The term comes from "jamón ibérico pata negra", a kind of ham made from the Black Iberian pig, which is generally considered to be among the most high-quality ham produced.

Adjective

de pata negra (invariable)

1. (idiomatic) top-quality; top-notch; first-class

Further reading

• “de pata negra”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.7, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2023 November 28