Anze Ham

Anze Ham

　　　Anze Ham is a traditional delicacy from Shanxi Province with over 300 years of production history. The ham here features a striking red-and-white coloration, a richly aromatic scent, and a delicious taste, earning fame both within and beyond the province. According to the *Annals of Anze County*: “Apart from Jinhua Ham, Anze Ham is the finest, truly one of the best local specialties.” “Those who served as officials elsewhere often purchased it to give as gifts to family and friends.” Anze Ham is believed to have originated from Jinhua Ham, and there’s actually an interesting historical story behind it. It is said that in the late Ming Dynasty, a man from Jinhua, Zhejiang, became the county magistrate of Yuezhou County (now Anze County). This homesick official often longed for the famous Jinhua Ham; however, Yuezhou was surrounded by rugged mountains, crisscrossing ravines, sparsely populated, and with poor transportation. With Zhejiang and Shanxi being thousands of kilometers apart, he couldn’t satisfy his craving. Later, he came up with a solution: he invited a master ham maker from his hometown to Yuezhou and, following the traditional processing techniques of Jinhua Ham, began making “Jinhua Ham” locally. After the ham was made, the magistrate tried it and was full of praise. His wish was fulfilled, and “Jinhua Ham” thus spread and took root in the region. By the Qing Dynasty, Yuezhou Ham had already been sold as far as Beijing and was regarded as a premium-grade ham. In 1644 (possibly a typo for 1644 or another year; 614 seems incorrect), Yuezhou County was renamed Anze County, and Yuezhou Ham was accordingly renamed “Anze Ham.” Although Anze Ham is delicious, its production has not always been smooth sailing. By the Republican era, due to heavy taxes and rising transportation costs, production and sales gradually declined, and during the Anti-Japanese War, production came to a complete halt. Production of Anze Ham only resumed after the liberation. Though derived from Jinhua Ham, Anze Ham has developed its own unique methods in terms of ingredients and processing based on local conditions. This type of ham is generally made after autumn, using smaller and leaner pig hind legs, each weighing about 6–6.5 kilograms. The cured hind legs are first repeatedly rubbed with salt and saltpeter; then they are placed in brick-lined pits, about the size of a single bed, built indoors. After stacking the hams in the pit, the room temperature is kept above 30°C. After one month, the salt is rubbed on again, and the hams sit for another month. This process is repeated 3–4 times over 4–5 months. In the spring of the following year, the cured hams are taken out, coated with ground sesame oil, and sun-dried. After repeating this oil-coating and sun-drying process several times, the ham is ready. Generally, 1 kilogram of fresh meat yields 0.5 kilograms of ham, which usually goes on the market around the Qingming Festival. Anze Ham can be prepared in many ways. Before cooking, it should be cut into small pieces and soaked in water until the salt and saltpeter are mostly extracted. Because this ham has relatively high levels of saltpeter and salt, soaking significantly reduces their content. It is also precisely because of these high nitrate and salt levels that Anze Ham can be stored for 2–3 years without spoiling, with color and flavor remaining unchanged—locally referred to as “a canned food without the can.”

The *Annals of Anze County* record: “Anze Ham traces its lineage directly to Jinhua Ham, standing alone as the foremost in the north.” By the mid-Qing Dynasty, Yuezhou Ham had already gained widespread renown. During the Republican era, Yuezhou was named by combining the first characters of “Anji” and “Zequan,” two places from the Northern and Southern Dynasties period, and Yuezhou Ham was accordingly renamed Anze Ham. The production of Anze Ham has a history of over 300 years.

　　[Features]: Red and white marbling, intense aroma, long shelf life without spoilage.