Where in China has the best ham? most famous

Ham huǒtuǐ

[English: ham]

Salted or smoked pork leg, also known as "fire meat" and "lanxun".

The most famous ones are produced in Jinhua, Zhejiang, Anfu, Jiangxi and Xuanwei, Yunnan. It is so named because its meat is as red as fire. It is said that fireworks were commonly used in early production, hence the name. According to local records, Jinhua ham was created in the Song Dynasty. The people of Zhejiang used it to comfort the anti-Jin forces led by Ze Ze, and later listed it as a tribute. It has a history of 800 years. By the Qing Dynasty, Jinhua ham had been exported to Japan, Southeast Asia, Europe and the United States. Anfu ham has a long history, originating from the pre-Qin Dynasty. It was the "fire ham" used for sacrifices in the pre-Qin Dynasty. Anfu Wugong Mountain, which has always been a Taoist resort, local people use the finest pig trotter meat as an offering to the gods to dispel evil and eliminate disasters. The meat is marinated with salt to form "fire". Later, people marinated pig legs into "ham", which was served as a feast for festivals or distinguished guests at home. Ham has the functions of strengthening the spleen, appetizing, promoting body fluids and replenishing blood, and can treat symptoms such as fatigue, loss of appetite, and diarrhea due to deficiency. It has always been regarded as a delicacy on the banquet and a treasure as a gift.

But it also has some shortcomings. For example, if you eat it for a long time, you will feel a headache. There is another point that has not been confirmed. I will publish it after it is confirmed.

The origin of the name "ham"

Ham was invented in the Song Dynasty. The first word "ham" appeared in the Northern Song Dynasty. Su Dongpo clearly recorded the cooking method of ham in his "Guwu Tan·Diet". , "Ham is boiled with two pig pancreas, and the oil is gone. Hide the ham in the valley, and it will remain oil-free for decades, leaving only grain chaff."

In addition, it is said that Zongze, a famous general who fought against the Jin Dynasty in the Northern Song Dynasty, After returning to his hometown, he brought back some pieces of bacon from Yiwu, Zhejiang Province, and gave it to Zhao Gou, Emperor Gaozong of the Song Dynasty, to taste. When Zhao Gou cut it open, he saw that the flesh was as bright red as fire and tasted delicious. He was overjoyed and named it "ham." ". The production of ham requires multiple technological processes. Ham is rich in minerals and protein. It is not only mouth-wateringly delicious but also a tonic for strengthening the body. So far, Jinhua ham from Zhejiang, China is not only sold well domestically, but also exported to Europe and the United States. It still exudes the huge alluring charm that has been unique to it for thousands of years

Ham is a famous specialty of Jinhua, Zhejiang. Zongze, the famous anti-gold general, is now a native of Yiwu, Jinhua, Zhejiang. He once took his hometown to pickle The pork leg was donated to Emperor Qinzong of the Song Dynasty. The meat of the salted pork leg was full of color, aroma and taste. Because of its bright red color, Emperor Qinzong of the Song Dynasty named it "ham". From then on, ham became a tribute. Ham is the hind leg of a pig. Jinhua ham was originally supposed to be made from the hind legs of Jinhua Two-headed Crow, but since Jinhua Two-headed Crow is almost extinct, the standard ham now should be made from general salted legs (that is, legs cured with salt in cold storage). Jinhua, Dongyang, Lanxi, Yiwu, Wuyi, Pujiang and Yongkang are rich in ham. These places belong to Jinhua and are collectively called Jinhua ham. There was a time when Lanxi had the most people, but now Dongyang has the most people.

About Jinhua Ham

Zongze’s story is indeed true. The original name of the ham was called hometown leg by Zongze.

A more scientific explanation of the origin of ham is this. Ham actually originated from the Wenzhou area. Floods occur frequently in Wenzhou, and because of its coastal location, sea water pours in during floods. After the floods passed, the farmers returned from their places of refuge. Because the monks could run away but could not escape from the temple, and because the floods came quickly and fiercely, large items such as livestock could not be taken away in time, so farmers dug out some daily necessities and farm tools from the mud. Some drowned pigs are dug out of the sand and treated with natural nitrite and sodium chloride in the seawater to become natural bacon or ham. Although it was pork that had been submerged in sea water, because there was no food to eat at that time, people tried to eat the meat which, although it had been submerged, did not rot. In fact, it tasted very good and was easy to keep fresh. People later invented Learn how to make ham and bacon.

Ham is graded into special grade, first grade, second grade and third grade. It takes a knowledgeable person to insert a lottery to judge the quality of ham. The stick is made of bamboo and looks like an awl. There are three different parts of a ham, and each sign is in a different part. According to different positions, it is divided into three lots: upper, middle and lower. The requirements for super-grade legs: the claws should be curved, the ankles should be thin, the legs should be plump like a leaf, the thickness of the fat should not exceed two centimeters, and the three picks should have a good fragrance. Requirements for first-class legs: Two of the three lots must have a good fragrance, but any one of the three lots must not have an odor. Requirements for secondary legs: no peculiar smell.

Requirements for Level 3 legs: One sign has an odor. Special grade ham and first-grade ham have a red ring, second-grade ham has a yellow ring, and third-grade ham has no ring. All three types of ham are stamped with ink made from gallnut (a Chinese medicinal name). However, there are also substandard hams, so when buying ham it is better to go to a regular place, such as a famous supermarket. I am happy to go to a ham factory to buy from our factory, but it is not easy to find, usually in the suburbs. Some of the more famous ham shops are also better, such as Bandung Ham Shop. If it is a general store, it depends on your ability and luck.

There are also two products that also use salted ham as raw materials, one is called white leg, which is Jinhua ham that is not stamped (if it is made according to standards). This type of product will be stamped to pretend to be Jinhua ham. They are generally not of high quality, and may be incompletely fermented (semi-finished products) or have an odor when inserted into the label. But it’s not too bad, and it’s still passable (if you look at it, you’ll know it’s hopeless and throw it away). The other type is called salted dried legs, which is a product of air-dried salted legs that have not been fermented. Since this kind of legs can be made year-round, it is very possible to spray dichlorvos when the weather is hot and there are many flies. The color of normal ham is dark red like rose, while salted and dried ham is bright red, just like the red on a girl’s face, and the meat is softer than ham. Of course, according to standards, salty legs should also have no rings or seals.

The production of ham goes through more than 80 processes. Can you tell me a brief process: fresh pork leg acceptance★, trimming of leg blanks, and pickling★ (in the pickling room and leg bed, the total salt content is 9% to 12% of the fresh leg weight, and the sodium nitrite dosage is ≤0.3‰) (*** six times), leg soaking, leg washing (stamping, first time, second time), leg drying, plastic surgery (several times), fermentation storage (temperature ≤35°C; relative humidity 70%~82%) , fermentation room) (dry knife repair, pest inspection), rack grading, stacking (turning the pile and rubbing oil), and finished products. Note: ★Quality control points.

The current sales locations of ham are limited to Hong Kong, Southeast Asia, and Singapore. In Japan, only fake products are sold and smuggled across the country. The kind of ham eaten for breakfast in Europe and the United States is Parma ham produced year-round by mechanization, and the price is about one hundred yuan per pound. European standards are quite strict, requiring that the raw materials for pork legs come from livestock farms, and that no plague occurs within two hundred kilometers around it, so Jinhua ham has not yet entered the European and American markets.