Xuanwei ham: A time-honored flavor

Special climate endows Xuanwei ham with unique flavor. Local temperature differences and humidity changes fit perfectly into the ham-processing steps, making the ham special in color and taste. The ham can be cooked in a variety of ways: frying, steaming or boiling. All result in nice flavors.

Xuanwei ham: A time-honored flavor

The Xuanwei ham is named after its production base of Xuanwei city, east Yunnan’s Qujing. As early as over 300 years ago, Xuanwei ham was famous as a tribute for Chinese emperors. According to Xuanwei Chronicle, the ham is famous all over the world because of local climate. It is the unique geographical location and climatic conditions in the city that gave birth to the excellent flavor of Xuanwei ham.

In 1915, Xuanwei ham won a gold medal at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition for its unique taste and processing steps. Since the beginning of the 21th century, the ham was exported to Southeast Asian countries such as Singapore. In 2011, Xuanwei ham was listed as a national intangible heritage for protection. Besides, it has won 100 plus awards at home and abroad.

Xuanwei, located in east Yunnan, has a unique climate of plateau subtropical monsoon. The temperature differences and humidity changes fit perfectly into the ham-processing steps, making the ham unique in color and taste. As is observed by some, the Xuanwei ham is a product of unique climate and timing, and every ham bite is a grace from nature.

Shaped like the Chinese musical instrument of pipa, it has thin skin and thick flesh with moderate fatness or thinness. Cut the ham open, it would give off thick aroma and bright color. When producing the ham, Xuanwei folks simply knead ham with salt in hands, which is followed by stacking, pressing, washing, basking, hanging, air drying, and fermentation. Then it takes time to finalize its flavor.

In spring, the warm and dry monsoon evaporates the bulk of water in Xuanwei ham, and in the fine pork fiber, yeast takes root and sprouts. Around the Dragon Boat Festival in summer, the yeast begins changing the ham protein and fat. When the monsoon gets wetter during the mid-autumn season, the ham gradually turns green outside but rose-like inside. Months or even years later, microbes will break through the pigskin, allowing salt to penetrate deep into the meat. Finally, an authentic Xuanwei ham will come into being and find its way onto the dinner table.

The ham cut open looks like a fine work of art, with the jade-like fat running through the rosy lean meat. A 2-year-old Xuanwei ham smells fragrant, while a 3-year-old one is appealing. The ham can be cooked in a variety of ways: frying, steaming, or boiling. It can also be barbecued to brown, washed, cooked and sliced. All result in good flavors.

By Times reporters; Photo by Yunnan Net; Trans-editing by Wang Shixue