Where Is Ham Most Famous? A Grand Roundup of China's Seven Great Ham Producing Regions

Ham, as a delicacy among the finest foods, has quality products both at home and abroad. The craft of making ham is diverse, so different curing and production methods give it different flavors, and this is what has created so many famous ham producing regions. Below we introduce China's famous ham producing regions.

1. Jinhua Ham

Jinhua ham, also known as huotong, is one of the traditional famous products of Jinhua, Zhejiang. Jinhua ham is made from the hind legs of the Jinhua Two-End-Black pig, refined through procedures such as salting, shaping, turning the legs, washing and drying, and air-drying. The rind is yellow and bright, the shape resembles a bamboo leaf, the meat is red and moist, the aroma is rich, the nutrition is abundant, and it is delicious and tasty.

2. Xuanwei Ham

Xuanwei ham is one of the famous specialty products of Yunnan Province, named after its production place, Xuanwei. Its main characteristics are: it resembles a pipa in shape, large but with a small bone, thin rind and thick meat, with a moderate ratio of fat to lean; when cut open, the aroma is rich and the color is vivid, the lean meat is bright red or rose colored, the fat is milky white, and the bone is slightly pink, as if the blood is still nourishing it. Its quality is excellent enough to represent Yunnan ham, so it is often called "Yun leg".

3. Rugao Ham

Rugao ham is red like fire, with a unique flavor. In production, superior pig breeds raised in the Rugao and Hai'an area, with pointed heads, thin legs, thin rind and tender meat, are selected as raw materials. The pig legs are also carefully selected according to certain specifications, choosing those of appropriate weight and length with plump muscles at the center of the leg, then finely processed through multiple procedures. It is complete in color, aroma and taste, and is renowned at home and abroad.

4. Mianning Ham

Mianning ham is a famous traditional meat food of Liangshan Prefecture, Sichuan Province, with the characteristics of a unique flavor, rich aroma, more lean than fat, a plump center of the leg, and a red moistness like fire. Mianning ham is made from the hind legs of pigs crossbred from the Liangshan Wujin pig and fine breeds such as Landrace or Yorkshire, made through procedures such as curing, washing and drying, and shaping.

5. Longxi Ham

Longxi ham is made with great care. All the seasonings are ground into powder, mixed evenly with qu liquor, and smeared on the outside and inside of the cut meat and legs. They are placed into the pit in a layering method of one layer of cut meat and one layer of legs, with cut meat sealing the top. During curing, they must be turned over once to ensure even absorption of flavor. After 3, 40 days they are taken out of the pit, and immediately air-dried until the meat becomes firm, the surface bright red, and the aroma striking the nose.

6. Anfu Ham

Anfu ham is a distinctive traditional delicacy of Jiangxi and one of China's three great hams. It is not only very famous domestically but also exported to various countries in Southeast Asia. Anfu ham has very strict material selection, using the hind legs of the Anfu rice pig. Anfu ham has a long history; Anfu ham already existed as early as the pre-Qin period. Anfu ham has a thin rind and tender meat, more lean than fat, complete in color, aroma and taste, and a very long shelf life.

7. Nuodeng Ham

Nuodeng ham is a specialty delicacy of the Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture in Yunnan. The Nuodeng ham producing area in Yunnan has a good environment, excellent water quality, and no pollution, so the Nuodeng ham produced is moderately salty, delicious in taste, fragrant with a lingering fragrance, and leaves a long aftertaste when eaten. Although Nuodeng ham is not as famous as Yunnan's Xuanwei ham, in recent years it has become very famous. Nuodeng ham is cured with well salt, and the finished ham is an enticing rose color; it is very fragrant when chewed and very delicious.

Among these hams, Jinhua ham, Xuanwei ham, Rugao ham and Mianning ham have made the world ham rankings, and can be said to be renowned at home and abroad. In short, China's ham has a long history and culture and also holds a good position in the world.

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