At the age of nine, Pedro Liébana asked his mother for a Communion gift that would shape his life –– a knife to carve jamón.  

"Every house knows how to carve, some for better, others for worse," Liébana said, reminiscing on his childhood.

In a small town near Granada, Spain, Liébana grew from a family of farmers where his primary example of jamón carving was from his mother. From his childhood kitchen to his shop in Ithaca, he has mastered the art of jamón carving through years of training and practice –– his title now is maestro jamónero cortadores (master ham carvers). He said he is one of only three living in the United States. 

In November 2020, Liébana opened his shop in Ithaca after arriving from Los Angeles in the dry summer heat months earlier with his wife whose pursuit of her postdoc research brought them here. "I’ve been really happy since then," he said.

Located at 215 N. Cayuga St., the store sits in Dewitt Mall, across from Ithaca Guitar Works. A wide range of people — including professors and a Pulitzer Prize winner — has experienced his food. It’s serving them that he said brings him joy and what he thinks makes Ithaca such a unique place.  

His menu? Short. Delicious. A chance to expand the palate. 

His store, while small, carries a world of flavors for Ithacans to try, especially for pork lovers. From the shelf of goods (including breadsticks and extra virgin olive oil) to the items in the fridge (including Manchego cheese and Liébana’s favorite, white anchovies), a taste of Spain awaits. 

The main attraction, however, is the jamón –– especially the jamón ibérico, donned the "caviar of cured meats," as a sign on his wall reads.  

"This is unique. It’s impossible to find jamón ibérico hand-carved,” he said. "It’s the best cured meat in the world." 

Behind a glass sit two pieces of jamón. The jamón serrano, cured for seven months from the white pig based in Valencia, Spain, has a salty taste. The jamón ibérico, from the acorn-fed Iberian pig based in Cordoba, Spain, is cured for three years, packed with delicate hues of sweet and salty flavors. 

While larger grocers in Ithaca may have machine-cut cured ham, Liébana finds it disrupts the flavor, especially for the jamón iberico. "It’s a sin. You pay a lot of money. The machine speed ruins everything," he said. 

With meticulous dexterity, precision, and care, Liébana steadily carves thin slices of the meat –– an art form he uses to maintain the flavor, texture, and nutritional value of the meats.  

For those who have never tried it, Liébana recommends trying the jamón serrano. "I want people to try it properly. Open a wine bottle, some cheese, some bread, but you just eat by yourself." 

With an array of gourmet sandwiches including both types of jamón, as well as chorizo (a spicy, delectable sausage), the menu is meant to provide a memorable, delicious experience. 

His menu, though, is not only for pork lovers. He also has breadsticks, tortas handmade from Sevilla (each with its their own shape), Spanish tortilla omelets, refreshing gazpacho and even paella kits. 

"We use really high and fresh quality seafood, and we put it in a can," he said, as he talked about meals customary in Spain that may be unfamiliar in the United States. "It’s really incredible food. In Barcelona there is a bar, you just order a beer, there’s a wall full of seafood. You choose one, open, drink and eat."

While each day has been variable in the number of customers, it is a fresh day he gets to hone into his craft, doing the thing that he loves: carrying on traditions from his home country, serving delicious foods that maintain the memory of his culture and sharing it with other people, both new and familiar with Spanish foods.  

"We don’t need to invent anything. I don’t have to figure out anything," he said. "I just need to do what I know from my country."

With his shop leaving in the summer of 2022 as he pursues another location, La Bodega will be open and ready for all to enjoy. 

Delicious Spanish foods, including jamón ibérico(cured ham) from the only master jamón carver in upstate New York, sandwiches, handmade tortas from Seville, paella kits, olive oil imported from the largest distributor in the world (Spain), Manchego cheese, anchovies, refreshing gazpacho, Spanish omelets and more. For those looking to reminisce on Spanish foods they’ve tasted abroad or for first-timers, this small shop carries a world of flavor to try! 

Location: 215 N. Cayuga Street, Ithaca.

Hours: 2-6 p.m. Monday; 11:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Tuesday to Friday.

Caroline Johnson is a food, dining and culture reporter at the Ithaca Journal. Email her at cejohnson@gannett.com. Follow her at @carolinewrites2 on Twitter for more stories and graphics.