oz/50 g ham

Ham is a cured and typically smoked hind leg of pork, a processed meat product defined by its curing with salt, nitrates, and/or nitrites, followed often by smoking and aging. The curing process draws moisture from the meat while developing complex flavors and extending shelf life. Ham varieties range from wet-cured (bone-in, with significant moisture and softer texture) to dry-cured (such as Prosciutto di Parma or Spanish jamón), which are aged for months or years and develop dense, concentrated flavors. Color varies from deep mahogany in smoke-house varieties to rosy pink in mild cures, influenced by the curing agents, smoking duration, and aging conditions.

The flavor profile is salty, savory, and often slightly sweet, with smokiness varying from subtle to pronounced depending on smoking wood and duration. Key regional varieties include American city ham (typically bone-in and heavily smoked), bone-less ham, country ham (a dry-cured American style with intense salt and funk), Italian prosciutto crudo (uncooked, air-dried), and Spanish jamón serrano or jamón ibérico (from black Iberian pigs, with complex nutty notes).

Ham is used across global cuisines as a standalone protein, in composed dishes, and as a flavoring agent. In Western cooking, it appears sliced and chilled in sandwiches, diced in soups and stews (split pea soup, bean dishes), glazed and roasted whole as a centerpiece, or diced into omelets, pasta, and grain dishes. It is foundational in French cuisine (jambon de Paris in croques-monsieur), Italian antipasti (prosciutto with melon or figs), and Spanish tapas culture. Ham also serves as a supporting flavor in beans, lentils, collard greens, and other vegetables, where the rendered fat and salt enhance overall depth.