Hams from around the world

In Spain we are rightfully proud of our ham. From 100 % Iberian acorn-fed ham to cured ham, of course including the wonderful PDO Teruel Ham or Serrano ham, our country is an expert in good ham. However, our way of doing things is, of course, not the only one.

Pigs are eaten all over the world. In each country, in each geographical zone, a specific way of doing things has been consolidated, adapted both to local taste and the needs and opportunities in each place.

Here we are going to present just some of the types you can find in all four corners of our planet.

Ham from Jinhua, China

Yes, you heard right, a traditional form of cured ham has been produced in China for no less than the last 1200 years, back to the time of the Tang Dynasty. It comes from the city of Jinhua, in the province of Zhenjiang, in the east of the country. It is obtained from a race of native pigs called wumeng and known as “two-end black” as their hide is black on the head and on the rear legs and white over the rest of the body.

This ham is made in a similar way to here in Spain although there are some differences. The salting process takes place at a higher temperature (between 5 and 10ºC) to increase penetration of the salt which is rubbed on the meat and left to be absorbed over several days. This process is repeated between 5 and 7 times over one month.

Washing also differs, as it is done by immersing the legs for hours in two phases making a total of 24 hours to completely remove the salt.

After giving them the shape of a bamboo leaf, they are exposed to the sun until the fat starts to liquefy and then its maturing process begins. This process will last between 6 and 8 months at a temperature of around 15ºC with low humidity (approximately 55 or 60%). After cleaning and applying vegetable fat, the ham will finish its curing over 2 or 3 more months.
Highly appreciated in Chinese cuisine, Jinhua Ham is an ingredient in the famous Buddha Jumps Over the Wall soup.

There are two other types of ham in China; Xuanwei or Yunnan Ham – smoked and with long curing times – and Rugao or Northern Ham, cured off the bone.

Black Forest Ham (Schwarzwälder Schinken), Germany

Germany is a great pork producer and consumer, and of course, it has several ways of making ham.
The best known among them is doubtlessly the Black Forest Ham. Made in the villages of this mountainous area in south-east Germany, this ham is highly appreciated in local cuisine and of course popular among visiting tourists.

As opposed to our ham, it is made off the bone and in brine seasoned with garlic, coriander and black pepper. After curing in the open air, it is smoked with fir and pine tree fragrances.
In its traditional form, this ham is covered with cow’s blood, giving it its characteristic dark colour. Nowadays, this process has been substituted by a spicy coating to get this colour.
Other typical German hams are Ammerland Ham and Westphalia Ham. The former is made very similarly to the Black Forest ham but cold-smoked with beech wood and juniper berries. Westphalia Ham is cut into rounds and after rubbing it with salt and putting it in brine, it is cold-smoked with spices to flavour it and then dried.

Bayonne Ham, France

Although the many types of ham that exist in France deserve a whole post of their own, we are going to focus this time on the most famous French ham: Bayonne Ham.
Its origin lies in a 14th century legend stating that a wild boar hunted in the area around Salies-de-Béarn (between Pau and Biarritz) fell and remained in a saltwater spring for one year. When it was found, it was in perfect condition to be eaten and so the properties of salt to preserve and cure meat were acknowledged.

This famous ham comes from the Large White race of pigs, bred in south-west France, in the Adour basin. Fed exclusively with corn, grass and cereal, they live in semi-freedom as stated in its GPI regulation (acknowledged since 1998).

With a minimum fresh weight of 8.5 kg, without the hoof and preserving the hide, Bayonne hams are rubbed and covered in salt during the winter months. As spring arrives, the hams are sent to the drying spots and subsequently to cellars where they are covered with a mixture of flour and pig’s fat. Although curing time is around 9 or 10 months, some hams might be cured for up to 2 years. As a distinctive sign, we can find a Lauburu (Basque cross) branded into its skin.

Parma Ham and San Daniele Ham, Italy

Made similarly to Spanish hams due to their tradition and culture, Italian hams stand out for their sweet, less intense flavour than their Spanish cousins.
Texts from as far back as the 1st century BC allude to a delicious air-dried ham in the former Roman Empire. Consequently, this is a product with a long tradition behind it, particularly in the Parma and San Daniele areas of northern Italy, home to two of the most famous white pig hams in the world.

Parma Ham, made from pigs bred in the foothills of the Apennines, has a Protected Designation of Origin. Just like French ham and some cured and Serrano hams in Spain, it does not have the hoof, with the peculiarity that in its manufacturing, only salt and pork lard can be used, and not nitrifying salts. With a pinkish colour and a sweet flavour, this prosciutto is cured for a minimum of 10-12 months and it is identified by a five-point ducal crown branded into its skin.

The other great Italian ham is made close to the Alps, in a town with 8 thousand inhabitants called San Daniele de Fruili, and it has a PDO. Its manufacturing process is, just like in Parma, similar to ours – dry salting, washing, resting, drying spot and cellar. The biggest difference between them is that San Daniele hams keep their hoof and take the characteristic shape of a guitar, due shaping and beating it during curing. Just like Bayonne ham, lard mixed with flour is used to cover the lean areas. In Italy, this mixture is known as sugna. We can distinguish it by its branding with the seal of the Consorcio Prosciutto de San Daniele.

Country Ham, USA

Also known as Virginia ham, this way of making ham comes not only from Virginia, but from other states in the South of the US, such as Kentucky, Georgia or Tennessee.
Traditionally, these hams were obtained from pigs fed with peanuts although their feed is now corn-based. This product has a strong salty flavour, as its salting lasts between one and three months, so it is usual to soak it before eating it. After salting, it is cured for a minimum of 1 to 3 months and it is generally smoked over apple and American walnut wood. Subsequently, it is left to age for several months. This process can stretch up to 2 or 3 years depending on the quantity of fat in the piece.

As opposed to the hams that we have presented up to now, Country Ham is usually baked, boiled or fried after the aforementioned soaking process to reduce its high salt content.

National Ham, Argentina

National Ham or Raw Ham was one result of massive migration forming today’s Argentina, mainly from Italy and Spain. Buenos Aires, La Pampa, Córdoba, La Patagonia and Santa Fe are home to most producers of a ham that is very similar to its Mediterranean counterpart.

Due to its salty taste, it is more like a Spanish ham than an Italian one, Argentinian Raw Ham is cured for around 12 months.

Ardennes Ham, Belgium

Located in the south of Belgium and north of France, this region produces a type of smoked ham that is greatly appreciated both in Belgium and neighbouring Luxemburg.
Working from eminently lean raw material, this ham is soaked in brine for between 12 and 21 days. After this, the pieces are smoked for 12 hours over beech and oak wood, with an aromatic touch of juniper and thyme. The process is finished off in the drying area for between 3 and 4 months.

Portuguese Presunto

There can be no doubt about it, there is no ham more like the Spanish Iberian ham than the Portuguese Iberian presunto.
The Alentejo region produces ham from a pure Iberian race from the peninsula, Alentejano pigs. This is used to make Alentejano Iberian ham and pure PDO Barrancos Iberian ham, within the county of the same name, very close to the province of Huelva. With a special microclimate and traditional know-how, this PDO gives a very high-quality product.

However, the town of Chaves, to the north of the country, makes a white pig ham that is very different to what we make in Spain. Although this is also a long-cured produced (between 18 and 24 months), the ham there is cured with spices, wine and a slightly smoky touch.

These are only some of the many ways of making ham all over the world. If you know of any others, we’re all ears.

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