Ham: Difference between revisions

Ham can be dry cured or wet-[[cured]]. A dry-[[cured]] ham has been rubbed in a mixture containing [[salt]] and a variety of other ingredients (usually various proportions of [[sodium nitrate]] and [[sodium nitrite]]). This is followed by a period of drying and ageing. dry cured hams may require a period of rehydration prior to consumption. A wet-cured ham has been cured with [[brine]], either by immersion or injection. The distinction between wet and dry cure is not always clear cut as some ham curing methods begin wet but are followed by dry ageing.

dry cured varieties include Italian '''[[prosciutto]]''' ('''prosciutto di Parma''', '''prosciutto di San Daniele''', '''prosciutto di Carpegna''', '''prosciutto di Modena''', '''prosciutto Toscano''', '''prosciutto Veneto Berico-Euganeo''', '''Valle d’Aosta Jambon de Bosses''', '''prosciutto di Norcia''') and the Spanish '''[[jamon serrano]]''' and '''[[jamón ibérico]]'''. The United States has '''country ham''' (including '''Virginia ham'''), which might or might not be smoked. England has '''York ham'''. Germany's '''Westphalian ham''' is usually smoked over [[juniper]], in Belgium there is the smoked '''Ardennes ham''', and from China there is the unsmoked '''Jinhua ham'''. In Bulgaria, the specific '''Elenski but''' is produced. From Iran, we get the dry cured '''Zard Kūh ham'''.

In Portugal, besides several varieties of wet-cured hams called ''fiambre'' (not to be confused with the Guatemalan dish, also called fiambre), the most important type of ham is presunto, a dry cured ham similar to Spanish jamón and Italian prosciutto. There is a wide variety of ''presuntos'' in Portugal; among the most famous are presunto from Chaves and presunto from Alentejo (made from the haunches of black Iberian pigs).