PORK IS ONE of the most consumed meats in the world. From European charcuterie stars such as prosciutto di Parma, jamón Serrano, and jamón Ibérico to the Jinhua dry-cured hams from the Zhejiang province of China used to flavor stews and stir-fries, ham is a big deal.
In the United States, the word “ham” refers to a dizzying array of products: spiral-sliced ham, deli ham, country ham, city ham, fresh ham, and more. We set out to report on American ham, with the hope of clarifying the options. We focused on the main types of ham made and sold in the United States—city ham, country ham, American prosciutto, and fresh ham—and spoke to meat scientists, butchers, and ham producers to learn as much as possible
