Yes, they are different. Prosciutto is saltier because, AFAIK, it is only cured with salt. Serrano (usually) uses nitrites and nitrates, so less salting is required to ensure safety. This also gives it a slightly different flavor. Also, sometimes, sugar is used in serrano hams, too.
Spain, Spain, Spain, that’s all you every hear about, España. What about Portugal? God forbid anyone should think about little Portugal, with its soccer players and cute water dogs and … uhhh … fish. Yeah, fish. And Andorra, the outlet mall of Europe, all but forgotten on the SDMB.
Hey, hey, in the cured meat department, I’ll give big ups for linguiça. And presunto is the local version of jamon or prosciutto, but I’ve never had it to compare. Oh, and let’s not forget port. Mmm…port. Oh, and how can I forget, piri-piri. I canned jars of that sauce (although African variations of it) with my fall pepper harvest.
Presunto and serrano are the same thing on different sides of a line in a map. And sorry, elmwood, but I’m afraid I tend to associate Portugal more with lace, linens, tile work and fado than with food and drink, although I have of course heard of Porto, Douro (reds) and southern whites (which, for those who unlike me drink alcohol more than once a year, combine perfectly with the fish). In any case, you did not say what would be considered a luxury meal there… 