Rugao Ham

Rugao Ham

　　Produced in Rugao, Jiangsu Province. Healthy, high-quality pigs with pointed snouts, slender legs, thin skin, tender meat, and a live weight of around 60 kilograms are selected. The fresh hams are cleaned and then shaped into either bamboo leaf or lute shapes based on their size and fat-to-lean ratio. During curing, salt usage is strictly controlled. After curing, the hams are promptly washed, sun-dried, and then preserved for fermentation. The preservation and fermentation process is a key procedure that gives the ham its special qualities, with a fermentation cycle of 5–6 months. The entire production process takes about 10 months, with the optimal production period being from Frost’s Descent to the Start of Winter, when temperatures range between 2–10°C. The ham features thin skin, slender trotters, shapes resembling bamboo leaves or lutes, more lean than fat, vivid red-and-white coloration, unique flavor, and excellent color, aroma, taste, and appearance. It can be stored year-round and enjoyed in all seasons. Rugao Ham is not only delicious but also offers health benefits and helps prevent illness. Historical records state that the ham benefits the kidneys, nourishes the stomach, promotes saliva production, strengthens the intestines, fortifies bone marrow, and boosts leg strength.

　　Rugao is a renowned pig-producing area in Jiangsu Province. The local breed, known as "Dongchuan Pig," is a lean-meat variety. Ham production in Rugao began in the mid-Qing Dynasty and has been passed down for hundreds of years. In the 21st year of the Guangxu reign (1895), Rugao Guangfeng Ham Workshop (also known as Guangfeng Pickled Meat and Ham Company) won a gold medal at the international exposition in Honolulu, USA. In the 2nd year of the Xuantong reign (1910), Rugao Ham received an outstanding honor award at the Nanjing (then called Jiangning) South Seas Trade Fair. At that time, Rugao Ham was sold both domestically and abroad, with branch workshops in Shanghai and San Francisco, USA. Along with Jinhua Ham in Zhejiang and Tanyue Ham in Yunnan, it was known as one of China’s three major ham production centers. People referred to it alongside Jinhua Ham as the “Northern Ham” and the “Southern Ham.” Compared to Jinhua Ham, Rugao Ham is slightly saltier, contains more lean meat and less fat, and the meat texture is slightly firmer. The characteristics of Rugao Ham include thin skin, slender trotters, an attractive shape (resembling a lute or bamboo leaf), vibrant colors, and a uniquely delicious salty flavor. It is world-renowned for its “four excellences” of color, aroma, taste, and appearance. The ham is highly nutritious, rich in protein, fat, calcium, phosphorus, iron, and other components.