Jiange Ham

Jiange Ham

　　Jiange Ham --- A local specialty of Jiange County. It originated from Jinhua Ham in Zhejiang. Official production began in 1980. With meticulous ingredient selection and unique craftsmanship, the finished product is renowned for its color, aroma, taste, and appearance. In 1988, it won the “Silver Award” at the China Food Expo. Craftsmanship: The production period for Jiange Ham generally spans from the Beginning of Winter in one year to the Beginning of Spring the next. Pig hind legs with thin skin, slender legs, plump meat, and fresh texture are chosen. During curing, 8 jin (approx. 4 kg) of salt is used per 100 jin (approx. 50 kg) of fresh leg meat. Under normal temperatures, the salting is typically done in six stages. Salt is applied once a day, with old salt being removed and fresh salt applied each time, ensuring even distribution and stacking in a specific order for easy inspection. Once the ham has absorbed enough salt, it is promptly washed and sun-dried. In winter, drying takes 5–6 days; in spring, 4–5 days, until the skin tightens, turns red and glossy, and begins to exude oil. After sun-drying, the hams are hung on racks to ferment for 2–3 months, usually around the Qingming Festival. After fermentation, each ham is taken down and shaped. After trimming, they are hung back to continue fermenting. They are then taken down after the middle of the dog days (around early August), becoming the final product.

Jiange is known as the “Hometown of Cured Meat.” Cured meat gets its name from being made during the lunar month of La (腊月). It is said that Emperor Qin Shi Huang changed the calendar system, designating the 12th lunar month as La Yue, and decreed nationwide celebrations. That month, people would slaughter pigs and sheep, curing the meat for storage and use in the coming year. According to the Jiuzhou Annals (《剑州志》), every winter, the people of Jiange would slaughter fat pigs and cure them into cured meat — a fine product used either to entertain guests or given as gifts to relatives and friends.

The Jiange Mountain area abounds in grain crops such as rice, corn, wheat, and sorghum. Farming families have long kept the habit of raising pigs, and there’s a local saying: “Wealth never strays far from pigs.” Pigs raised on grain and vegetables yield tender, thin-skinned meat — perfect raw material for making cured meats, Jiange Ham, butterfly pork head, sausages, and other pork products.

　　Jiange cured meat uses traditional folk curing methods. Because the temperature and humidity in the Jiange Mountain area during La Yue are ideal for curing, the pork is cured and then smoked with cypress branches and sawdust before being air-dried in a cool place. Jiange cured meat products are bright red in color, fragrant and dry in scent, rich yet not greasy upon eating, and have long enjoyed a fine reputation. Before liberation, Jiange cured meat was sold as far as southwestern and northwestern provinces and cities. After liberation, it became popular both domestically and abroad. Among cured meat products, Jiange Ham especially enjoys an outstanding reputation. The “Jiange Brand” ham uses pork with balanced lean and fat portions. Production begins each year at the Start of Winter, and goes through stages including curing, washing, sun-drying, shaping, blending premium seasonings, and fermenting. From raw material to finished product, it usually takes 5–8 months. Jiange Ham features curved hocks and straight legs, a plump central meat section, and a golden-yellow hue resembling a lute. The cuts are clean, with lean meat showing a fiery red color and fat appearing milky white. The meat is dry and springy. Its flavor is fragrant and pure, with well-balanced saltiness — the fat isn’t greasy, and the lean isn’t tough. Jiange Ham has been inspected and registered nationally under the “Jiange Brand” trademark. It has been rated as a quality product by the Ministry of Commerce and Sichuan Province.