What to serve with ham?

Ham is made around the world, including a number of highly coveted regional specialties, such as Westphalian ham and some varieties of Spanish jamón. In addition, numerous ham products have specific geographical naming protection, such as Prosciutto di Parma and Prosciutto Toscano in Europe, and Smithfield ham in the US.

Ham is produced by curing raw pork by salting, also known as dry curing, or bringing, also known as wet curing. Additionally, smoking may be employed. Besides salt, several ingredients may be used to obtain flavoring and preservation, from black pepper (e.g. Prosciutto Toscano) to saffron (e.g. the "Zafferano di San Gimignano").

1. Dry-cured

Traditional dry cure hams may use the only salt as the curative agent, such as with San Daniele or Parma hams, although this is comparatively rare. This process involves cleaning the raw meat, covering it in salt while it is gradually pressed draining all the blood. Specific herbs and spices may be used to add flavor during this step. The hams are then washed and hung in a dark, temperature-regulated place until dry. It is then hung to air for another period of time.

The duration of the curing process varies by the type of ham, with, for example, Serrano ham curing in 9–12 months, Parma hams taking more than 12 months, and Iberian ham taking up to 2 years to reach the desired flavour characteristics. Some dry-cured hams, such as the Jinhua ham, take approximately 8 to 10 months to complete.

Most modern dry cure hams also use nitrites (either sodium nitrite or potassium nitrate), which are added along with the salt. Nitrates are used because they prevent bacterial growth and, in a reaction with the meat's myoglobin, give the product a desirable dark red color. The amount and mixture of salt and nitrites used have an effect on the shrinkage of the meat. Because of the toxicity of nitrite (the lethal dose of nitrite for humans is about 22 mg per kg body weight), some areas specify a maximum allowable content of nitrite in the final product. Under certain conditions, especially during cooking, nitrites in meat can react with degradation products of amino acids, forming nitrosamines, which are known carcinogens.

2. Wet-cured

Wet-cured hams are brined, which involves the immersion of the meat in a brine, sometimes with other ingredients such as sugar also added for flavor. Meat is typically kept in the brine for around 3 to 14 days. Wet curing also has the effect of increasing volume and weight of the finished product, by about 4%.

The wet curing process can also be achieved by pumping the curing solution into the meat. This can be quicker, increase the weight of the finished product by more than immersion, and ensure a more even distribution of salt through the meat. This process is quicker than traditional brining, normally being completed in a few days.

3. Smoking

Ham can also be additionally preserved through smoking, in which the meat is placed in a smokehouse (or equivalent) to be cured by the action of smoke.

The main flavor compounds of smoked ham are guaiacol, and its 4-, 5-, and 6-methyl derivatives as well as 2,6-dimethylphenol. These compounds are produced by combustion of lignin, a major constituent of wood used in the smokehouse.

Top 10 Ham in the World

1. Iberian ham is a raw ham in Spain and has a protected specialty in the statutory area. Its raw material is a black pig from a local breed. The biggest feature of this pig is its ability to store fat in muscle fibers, making the taste of the Iberian ham very unique. Very high, even if you have money, you can't buy it.

2. Jinhua ham, also known as "fire pupil" or "South leg", is one of the traditional products of Zhejiang Jinhua. According to the textual research, the Jinhua ham originated in the Tang Dynasty and flourished in the Song Dynasty. It has a history of 1200 years ago. Because its meat is fresh and tender, its taste is unique and its nutritional value is high, it was listed as a tribute in the Qing Dynasty. Its raw material is "two-headed black" produced in Jinhua area. Toxicity, combined with high meat production rate, made Jinhua ham received a great welcome.

3. Parma ham is one of the three largest ham in the world. It is produced in the southern part of Parma Province, Italy. Because of its tender red color, uniform fat distribution and the softest taste of all ham, there will be pure Parma ham in Italian local restaurants. The raw material of Parma ham is local pigs because the production process of ham is very strict. The produced Parma ham has high nutritional value and high price.

4. Saint-Danny ham, like Parma ham, comes from Italy. It is an air-dried ham. Because of the special microclimate and humidity, it has a unique flavor and high nutritional value. For this reason, the saint-Danny ham is protected by the certification system of origin. It has strict manufacturing technology and a special stamp is required to flow into the ham after it is made. To the market.

5. Xuanwei ham, one of the famous local specialties in Yunnan Province, is named for its origin in Xuanwei. It has a long history. As early as 1915, it won the Golden Prize at the International Panama Expo. Its main characteristics are pipe-like shape, thin skin, fat and moderate meat, with a strong aroma. Xuanwei ham can be tested by "three needles method" in the market.

6. Schwarzwald is the largest forest mountain in Germany. Because the environmental protection is very good, there are many world top food ingredients in this forest. Among them, Schwarzwald ham is the best among them. Schwarzwald ham is chosen as the hind leg of the local stocking pig. After strict processing, the black forest ham is famous for its long production time. Nutritional value, but the price is quite high.

7. The bacon ham is a famous product in the Basque area of southern France. It is named after the city of bacon. The raw materials of bacon ham are selected from the local pig breeds. The pigs are fed with the corn as the feed and thirsty. They choose the local spring water when they are thirsty. They choose the unique salt in France and the local environment, so the ham is made of ham soft, elastic and rich. Nutrition.

8. The production of Rugao ham began in 1851. It was awarded the gold medal of Honolulu Expo. It was evolved from ham and Xuanwei ham. It was also called the three largest ham in China. The Rugao ham chose local high-quality pig breeds in Rugao. After strict selection and more careful processing, it has the characteristics of color, aroma, taste, and taste.

9. Mianning ham is a famous traditional meat food in Liangshan Prefecture of Sichuan province. Its raw materials are pig hind legs crossed by Liangshan Wujin pig and excellent York pig. After salting, washing, drying and shaping, the Mianning ham has a unique flavor, rich aroma, and thin and more fat. It has rich amino acids, minerals and trace elements, and is rich in nutrients.

10. Virginia ham is a famous ham in the United States. It has a long history of making. Compared with the above ham, Virginia ham is cheap and well loved by the local people, and its pig species are similar to two heads, which is a unique flavor of ham.

Ham can also be eaten with other foods, such as tapas snacks. Classic tapas such as salmorejo, which use tomato as the base of flavor cold butter, Cordoba bread crumbs or bread crumbs, virgin olive oil, garlic, salt, with small pieces of bread, boiled egg slices and Iberian ham; and then use Jinhua ham, shrimp, eggs and rice together to stir-fry into ham, shrimp eggs fried rice, fresh and sweet, naturally, especially Ham, soft and hard to bite palatable.

But ham is after all pickled food, although delicious, we should not eat more.