Ham is
pork
Pork is the culinary name for the meat of the domestic pig (''Sus domesticus''). It is the most commonly consumed meat worldwide, with evidence of pig husbandry dating back to 5000 BCE.
Pork is eaten both freshly cooked and preserved ...
from a leg
cut that has been
preserved by wet or dry
curing, with or without
smoking
Smoking is a practice in which a substance is burned and the resulting smoke is typically breathed in to be tasted and absorbed into the bloodstream. Most commonly, the substance used is the dried leaves of the tobacco plant, which have b ...
.
["Bacon: Bacon and Ham Curing" in '']Chambers's Encyclopædia
''Chambers's Encyclopaedia'' was founded in 1859Chambers, W. & R"Concluding Notice"in ''Chambers's Encyclopaedia''. London: W. & R. Chambers, 1868, Vol. 10, pp. v–viii. by William and Robert Chambers of Edinburgh and became one of the mos ...
''. London: George Newnes
Sir George Newnes, 1st Baronet (13 March 1851 – 9 June 1910) was a British publisher and editor and a founding figure in popular journalism. Newnes also served as a Liberal Party Member of Parliament for two decades. His company, George Newne ...
, 1961, Vol. 2, p. 39. As a
processed meat
Processed meat is considered to be any meat which has been modified in order to either improve its taste or to extend its shelf life. Methods of meat processing include salting, curing, fermentation, smoking, and/or the addition of chemical pr ...
, the term "ham" includes both whole cuts of meat and ones that have been mechanically formed.
Ham is made around the world, including a number of regional specialties, such as
Westphalian ham
Westphalian ham (German: ''Westfälischer Schinken'') is a ham produced from acorn-fed pigs raised in the forests of Westphalia, Germany. The resulting meat is dry cured and then smoked over a mixture of beechwood and juniper branches.
The ham ...
and some varieties of
Spanish ''jamón''. In addition, numerous ham products have specific geographical naming protection, such as
prosciutto di Parma in Europe, and
Smithfield ham in the US.
History
The preserving of pork leg as ham has a long history, with traces of production of cured ham among the
Etruscan civilization
The Etruscan civilization () was developed by a people of Etruria in ancient Italy with a common language and culture who formed a federation of city-states. After conquering adjacent lands, its territory covered, at its greatest extent, roug ...
known in the 6th and 5th century BC.
Cato the Elder
Marcus Porcius Cato (; 234–149 BC), also known as Cato the Censor ( la, Censorius), the Elder and the Wise, was a Roman soldier, senator, and historian known for his conservatism and opposition to Hellenization. He was the first to write hi ...
wrote about the "salting of hams" in his ' tome around 160 BC.
There are claims that the Chinese were the first people to mention the production of cured ham.
' claims an origin from
Gaul
Gaul ( la, Gallia) was a region of Western Europe first described by the Romans. It was inhabited by Celtic and Aquitani tribes, encompassing present-day France, Belgium, Luxembourg, most of Switzerland, parts of Northern Italy (only during ...
. It was certainly well established by the Roman period, as evidenced by an import trade from Gaul mentioned by
Marcus Terentius Varro
Marcus Terentius Varro (; 116–27 BC) was a Roman polymath and a prolific author. He is regarded as ancient Rome's greatest scholar, and was described by Petrarch as "the third great light of Rome" (after Vergil and Cicero). He is sometimes calle ...
in his writings.
The modern word "ham" is derived from the
Old English
Old English (, ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the early Middle Ages. It was brought to Great Britain by Anglo-Saxon settlers in the mid-5th ...
' or ' meaning the hollow or bend of the knee, from a Germanic base where it meant "crooked". It began to refer to the cut of pork derived from the hind leg of a
pig around the 15th century.
Because of the preservation process, ham is a compound foodstuff or ingredient, being made up of the original meat, as well as the remnants of the preserving agent(s), such as salt, but it is still recognised as a food in its own right.
Methods
Ham is produced by
curing raw pork by
salting, also known as dry curing, or
brining
In food processing, brining is treating food with brine or coarse salt which preserves and seasons the food while enhancing tenderness and flavor with additions such as herbs, spices, sugar, caramel or vinegar. Meat and fish are typically ...
, also known as wet curing. Additionally,
smoking
Smoking is a practice in which a substance is burned and the resulting smoke is typically breathed in to be tasted and absorbed into the bloodstream. Most commonly, the substance used is the dried leaves of the tobacco plant, which have b ...
may be employed, and seasonings may be added.
Dry-cured
Traditional dry cure hams may use only salt as the curative agent, such as with San Daniele or Parma hams, although this is comparatively rare.
This process involves cleaning the raw meat, covering it in salt while it is gradually pressed draining all the blood. Specific herbs and spices may be used to add flavour during this step. The hams are then washed and hung in a dark, temperature-regulated place until dry. It is then hung to air for another period of time.
The duration of the curing process varies by the type of ham. For example,
Jinhua ham
Jinhua ham () is a type of specialty dry-cured ham named after the city of Jinhua, where it is produced, in Zhejiang province, China. The ham is used in Chinese cuisines to flavor stewed and braised foods as well as for making the stocks ...
takes approximately 8 to 10 months to complete,
Serrano ham cures in 9–12 months, Parma ham takes more than 12 months, and Iberian ham can take up to 2 years to reach the desired flavor characteristics.
Most modern dry cure hams also use
nitrite
The nitrite ion has the chemical formula . Nitrite (mostly sodium nitrite) is widely used throughout chemical and pharmaceutical industries. The nitrite anion is a pervasive intermediate in the nitrogen cycle in nature. The name nitrite also ...
s (either
sodium nitrite
Sodium nitrite is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula NaNO2. It is a white to slightly yellowish crystalline powder that is very soluble in water and is hygroscopic. From an industrial perspective, it is the most important nitrite ...
or
potassium nitrite), which are added along with the salt. Nitrites are used because they prevent bacterial growth and, in a reaction with the meat's
myoglobin
Myoglobin (symbol Mb or MB) is an iron- and oxygen-binding protein found in the cardiac and skeletal muscle tissue of vertebrates in general and in almost all mammals. Myoglobin is distantly related to hemoglobin. Compared to hemoglobin, myoglob ...
, give the product a desirable dark red color. The amount and mixture of salt and nitrites used have an effect on the shrinkage of the meat. Because of the toxicity of nitrite, some areas specify a maximum allowable content of nitrite in the final product. Under certain conditions, especially during cooking, nitrites in meat can react with degradation products of
amino acid
Amino acids are organic compounds that contain both amino and carboxylic acid functional groups. Although hundreds of amino acids exist in nature, by far the most important are the alpha-amino acids, which comprise proteins. Only 22 alpha ...
s, forming
nitrosamine
In organic chemistry, nitrosamines (or more formally ''N''-Nitrosamines) are organic compounds with the chemical structure , where R is usually an alkyl group. They feature a nitroso group () bonded to a deprotonated amine. Most nitrosamines a ...
s, which are known
carcinogen
A carcinogen is any substance, radionuclide, or radiation that promotes carcinogenesis (the formation of cancer). This may be due to the ability to damage the genome or to the disruption of cellular metabolic processes. Several radioactive sub ...
s.
The dry curing of ham involves a number of
enzymatic reactions. The enzymes involved are
proteinase
A protease (also called a peptidase, proteinase, or proteolytic enzyme) is an enzyme that catalyzes (increases reaction rate or "speeds up") proteolysis, breaking down proteins into smaller polypeptides or single amino acids, and spurring the ...
s (
cathepsins –
B,
D,
H &
L, and
calpains) and
exopeptidases (
peptidase
A protease (also called a peptidase, proteinase, or proteolytic enzyme) is an enzyme that catalyzes (increases reaction rate or "speeds up") proteolysis, breaking down proteins into smaller polypeptides or single amino acids, and spurring the for ...
and
aminopeptidase
Aminopeptidases are enzymes that catalyze the cleavage of amino acids from the amino terminus ( N-terminus) of proteins or peptides (exopeptidases). They are widely distributed throughout the animal and plant kingdoms and are found in many sub ...
).
These enzymes cause
proteolysis
Proteolysis is the breakdown of proteins into smaller polypeptides or amino acids. Uncatalysed, the hydrolysis of peptide bonds is extremely slow, taking hundreds of years. Proteolysis is typically catalysed by cellular enzymes called protease ...
of muscle tissue, which creates large numbers of small
peptide
Peptides (, ) are short chains of amino acids linked by peptide bonds. Long chains of amino acids are called proteins. Chains of fewer than twenty amino acids are called oligopeptides, and include dipeptides, tripeptides, and tetrapeptides. ...
s and free
amino acid
Amino acids are organic compounds that contain both amino and carboxylic acid functional groups. Although hundreds of amino acids exist in nature, by far the most important are the alpha-amino acids, which comprise proteins. Only 22 alpha ...
s, while the
adipose tissue undergoes
lipolysis
Lipolysis is the metabolic pathway through which lipid triglycerides are hydrolyzed into a glycerol and free fatty acids. It is used to mobilize stored energy during fasting or exercise, and usually occurs in fat adipocytes. The most important ...
to create free fatty acids.
Salt and phosphates act as strong inhibitors of
proteolytic activity. Animal factors influencing enzymatic activity include age, weight, and breed. During the process itself, conditions such as temperature, duration, water content,
redox potential, and salt content all have an effect on the meat.
The salt content in dry-cured ham varies throughout a piece of meat, with gradients determinable through sampling and testing or non-invasively through
CT scanning.
Dry-cured ham is usually eaten without being cooked.
Wet-cured
Wet-cured hams are
brined
In food processing, brining is treating food with brine or coarse salt which preserves and seasons the food while enhancing tenderness and flavor with additions such as herbs, spices, sugar, caramel or vinegar. Meat and fish are typically ...
, which involves the immersion of the meat in a
brine
Brine is a high-concentration solution of salt (NaCl) in water (H2O). In diverse contexts, ''brine'' may refer to the salt solutions ranging from about 3.5% (a typical concentration of seawater, on the lower end of that of solutions used for ...
, sometimes with other ingredients such as sugar also added for flavour. The meat is typically kept in the brine for around 3 to 14 days.
Wet curing also has the effect of increasing volume and weight of the finished product, by about 4%.
The wet curing process can also be achieved by pumping the curing solution into the meat. This can be quicker, increase the weight of the finished product by more than immersion, and ensure a more even distribution of salt through the meat. This process is quicker than traditional brining, normally being completed in a few days.
Wet-cured ham is usually cooked, either during processing, or after ageing.
The Italian version of cooked, wet-cured ham is called ''prosciutto cotto'', as are similar hams made outside Italy. It is first brined, then cooked in a container and finally surface pasteurized. Italian regulations allow it to contain salt, nitrites, sugar, dextrose, fructose, lactose, maltodextrin, milk protein, soy protein, natural or modified starches, spices, gelatin, and flavorings.
Smoking
Ham can also be additionally preserved through
smoking
Smoking is a practice in which a substance is burned and the resulting smoke is typically breathed in to be tasted and absorbed into the bloodstream. Most commonly, the substance used is the dried leaves of the tobacco plant, which have b ...
, in which the meat is placed in a
smokehouse
A smokehouse (North American) or smokery (British) is a building where meat or fish is cured with smoke. The finished product might be stored in the building, sometimes for a year or more. (or equivalent) to be cured by the action of smoke.
The main flavor compounds of smoked ham are
guaiacol, and its 4-, 5-, and 6-methyl derivatives as well as 2,6-dimethylphenol. These compounds are produced by combustion of lignin, a major constituent of wood used in the smokehouse.
Labeling
In many countries the term is now protected by statute, with a specific definition. For instance, in the United States, the
Code of Federal Regulations
In the law of the United States, the ''Code of Federal Regulations'' (''CFR'') is the codification of the general and permanent regulations promulgated by the executive departments and agencies of the federal government of the United States. ...
(CFR) says that "the word 'ham', without any prefix indicating the species of animal from which derived, shall be used in labeling only in connection with the hind legs of swine".
In addition to the main categories, some processing choices can affect legal labeling. For instance, in the United States, a "smoked" ham must have been smoked by hanging over burning wood chips in a
smokehouse
A smokehouse (North American) or smokery (British) is a building where meat or fish is cured with smoke. The finished product might be stored in the building, sometimes for a year or more. or an atomized spray of
liquid smoke such that the product appearance is equivalent; a "
hickory
Hickory is a common name for trees composing the genus ''Carya'', which includes around 18 species. Five or six species are native to China, Indochina, and India (Assam), as many as twelve are native to the United States, four are found in Mex ...
-smoked" ham must have been smoked using only hickory. However, injecting "smoke flavor" is not legal grounds for claiming the ham was "smoked"; these are labeled "smoke flavor added". Hams can only be labeled "honey-cured" if honey was at least 50% of the sweetener used, is at least 3% of the formula, and has a discernible effect on flavor. So-called "lean" and "extra lean" hams must adhere to maximum levels of fat and
cholesterol
Cholesterol is any of a class of certain organic molecules called lipids. It is a sterol (or modified steroid), a type of lipid. Cholesterol is biosynthesized by all animal cells and is an essential structural component of animal cell memb ...
per 100 grams of product.
Whole fresh pork leg can be labeled as ''fresh ham'' in the United States.
Protected designations
A number of hams worldwide have some level of protection of their unique characteristics, usually relating to their method of preservation or location of production or processing. Dependent on jurisdiction, rules may prevent any other product being sold with the particular appellation, such as through the
European protected geographical indication.
;Belgium
*Jambon d'Ardenne –
Wallonia
Wallonia (; french: Wallonie ), or ; nl, Wallonië ; wa, Waloneye or officially the Walloon Region (french: link=no, Région wallonne),; nl, link=no, Waals gewest; wa, link=no, Redjon walone is one of the three regions of Belgium—al ...
;Bulgaria
*
Elenski but
Elenski but ( bg, еленски бут or (more precisely but less commonly) , sometimes translated as ''Elena round'' or ''Elena leg'') is a dry-cured ham from the town of Elena in northern Bulgaria and a popular delicacy throughout the countr ...
–
Elena
;China
*
Anfu ham
Anfu ham () is a type of dry-cured ham named after the town of Anfu in Jiangxi, China, where it originated. The ham gets its flavor from being salted and smoked and can be eaten on its own or used to add flavor to dishes. It is made in Anfu and ...
-
Jiangxi
Jiangxi (; ; formerly romanized as Kiangsi or Chianghsi) is a landlocked province in the east of the People's Republic of China. Its major cities include Nanchang and Jiujiang. Spanning from the banks of the Yangtze river in the north int ...
*
Jinhua ham
Jinhua ham () is a type of specialty dry-cured ham named after the city of Jinhua, where it is produced, in Zhejiang province, China. The ham is used in Chinese cuisines to flavor stewed and braised foods as well as for making the stocks ...
–
Jinhua
, alternately romanized as Kinhwa, is a prefecture-level city in central Zhejiang province in eastern China. It borders the provincial capital of Hangzhou to the northwest, Quzhou to the southwest, Lishui to the south, Taizhou to the east ...
*
Rugao ham Rugao ham () is a dry-cured ham that originated in Jiangsu province, China. It dates to the Qing dynasty, and was first prepared circa 1851. Rugao ham is produced in a variety of flavors, colors and weights. The local breed of Jiangquhai pigs are ...
–
Rugao
*
Xuanwei ham
Xuanwei ham () is a dry-cured ham in Qujing Prefecture of Yunnan province, China. Xuanwei ham has a 250-year history dating back to 1766. In 1909 it was first mass-produced and gained popularity. In 1915 Xuanwei ham won a gold medal at Panama Int ...
–
Xuanwei
Xuanwei () is a county-level city in the northeast of Yunnan Province, China, bordering Guizhou province to the east. It is under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Qujing.
Administrative divisions
Xuanwei City has 9 subdistrict ...
;Czech Republic
*
Pražká Šunka ("Prague Ham") –
Prague
Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 million people. The city has a temperate ...
;Croatia
*
Pršut
;France
*
Bayonne ham
Bayonne ham or is a cured ham that takes its name from the ancient port city of Bayonne in the far southwest of France, a city located in both the cultural regions of Basque Country and Gascony. It has PGI status.
Production
The area conc ...
(Jambon de Bayonne) –
Bayonne
Bayonne (; eu, Baiona ; oc, label= Gascon, Baiona ; es, Bayona) is a city in Southwestern France near the Spanish border. It is a commune and one of two subprefectures in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department, in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine r ...
;Germany
*
Ammerländer Schinken –
Ammerland
*
Schwarzwälder Schinken –
Black Forest
The Black Forest (german: Schwarzwald ) is a large forested mountain range in the state of Baden-Württemberg in southwest Germany, bounded by the Rhine Valley to the west and south and close to the borders with France and Switzerland. It is ...
*
Westfälischer Schinken –
Westphalia
Westphalia (; german: Westfalen ; nds, Westfalen ) is a region of northwestern Germany and one of the three historic parts of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It has an area of and 7.9 million inhabitants.
The territory of the regio ...
;Italy
*
Prosciutto di Parma –
Parma
Parma (; egl, Pärma, ) is a city in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna known for its architecture, music, art, prosciutto (ham), cheese and surrounding countryside. With a population of 198,292 inhabitants, Parma is the second m ...
*
Prosciutto di San Daniele –
San Daniele del Friuli
San Daniele del Friuli ( fur, Sant Denêl) is a '' comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Udine in the Italian region Friuli Venezia Giulia, located about northwest of Trieste and about northwest of Udine.
San Daniele del Friuli borders thes ...
*
Speck Alto Adige –
South Tyrol
it, Provincia Autonoma di Bolzano – Alto Adige lld, Provinzia Autonoma de Balsan/Bulsan – Südtirol
, settlement_type = Autonomous province
, image_skyline =
, image_alt ...
*
Vallée d’Aoste Jambon de Bosses –
Saint-Rhémy-en-Bosses Saint-Rhémy-en-Bosses ( Valdôtain: ) is a village and '' comune'' in the Aosta Valley, region in the north-western Italy.
Geography
Saint-Rhémy is the last Italian village before the Swiss border, about 20 kilometers northwest of Aosta.
Th ...
,
Aosta Valley
, Valdostan or Valdotainian it, Valdostano (man) it, Valdostana (woman)french: Valdôtain (man)french: Valdôtaine (woman)
, population_note =
, population_blank1_title = Official languages
, population_blank1 = Italian French
...
;Luxembourg
*
Éisleker ham ''Éisleker Ham'' or ''Jambon d'Oesling'', literally Oesling ham, is a speciality from the Oesling region in the north of Luxembourg which is produced from the hind legs of pigs. Traditionally, it was prepared by marinating the hams in herbs and vin ...
–
Oesling
The Oesling or Ösling () is a region covering the northern part of both the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and Eifelkreis Bitburg-Prüm, within the greater Ardennes area that also covers parts of Belgium and France. The Oesling covers 32% of the terri ...
region
;Montenegro
*
Njeguška pršuta –
Njeguši
Njeguši ( cnr, Његуши) is a village in the Cetinje Municipality of southern Montenegro, located on the slopes of Mount Lovćen, within the Lovćen national park. It is part of the territory of Njeguši tribe.
Demographics
According to th ...
,
Montenegro
)
, image_map = Europe-Montenegro.svg
, map_caption =
, image_map2 =
, capital = Podgorica
, coordinates =
, largest_city = capital
, official_languages = ...
;Portugal
*Portuguese Fiambre (not to be confused with Guatemalan
fiambre
Fiambre is a traditional Guatemalan salad that is prepared and eaten yearly to celebrate the Day of the Dead () and the All Saints Day (). It is served chilled and may be made with dozens of ingredients.
History
Fiambre started out from the tra ...
)
*
Presunto
''Presunto'' () is dry-cured ham from Portugal, similar to Italian ''prosciutto crudo'' or
Spanish ''jamón''.
Among the wide variety of ''presuntos'' in Portugal, the most famous are ''presunto'' from Chaves, produced in the north of Portugal, ...
*
Jamón Ibérico
''Jamón ibérico'' (; pt, presunto ibérico ), " Iberian ham" is a variety of ''jamón'' or ''presunto'', a type of cured leg of pork produced in Spain and, to a lesser extent, Portugal.
Description
According to Spain's '' denominaci� ...
;Slovenia
*
Kraški pršut
;Spain
*
Jamón serrano
*
Jamón Ibérico
''Jamón ibérico'' (; pt, presunto ibérico ), " Iberian ham" is a variety of ''jamón'' or ''presunto'', a type of cured leg of pork produced in Spain and, to a lesser extent, Portugal.
Description
According to Spain's '' denominaci� ...
, made from the
Black Iberian pig breeds.
*
Lacón Gallego, from
Galicia
Galicia may refer to:
Geographic regions
* Galicia (Spain), a region and autonomous community of northwestern Spain
** Gallaecia, a Roman province
** The post-Roman Kingdom of the Suebi, also called the Kingdom of Gallaecia
** The medieval King ...
;United Kingdom
*
Wiltshire cure
The Wiltshire cure is a traditional English technique for curing bacon and ham. The technique originated in the 18th century in Calne, Wiltshire; it was developed by the Harris family. Originally it was a dry cure method that involved applying sa ...
ham
[A colour atlas of food quality control]
section "Brine curing", pages 65 and 66. Jane P. Sutherland, A. H. Varnam
;United States
*
Smithfield ham –
Smithfield, Virginia
Uses
Ham is typically used in its sliced form, often as a filling for sandwiches and similar foods, such as in the
ham sandwich and
ham and cheese sandwich. Other variations include toasted sandwiches such as the
croque-monsieur and the
Cubano. It is also a popular topping for
pizza in the United States.
In the United Kingdom, a pork leg cut, either whole or sliced, that has been cured but requires additional cooking is known as
gammon. Gammons were traditionally cured before being cut from a side of pork along with
bacon
Bacon is a type of salt-cured pork made from various cuts, typically the belly or less fatty parts of the back. It is eaten as a side dish (particularly in breakfasts), used as a central ingredient (e.g., the bacon, lettuce, and tomato sand ...
. When cooked, gammon is ham. Such roasts are a traditional part of British Christmas dinners.
Health effects
As a processed meat, there has been concern over the health effects of ham consumption. A meta-analysis study from 2012 has shown a statistically relevant correlation between processed meat consumption and the risk of
pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic cancer arises when cells in the pancreas, a glandular organ behind the stomach, begin to multiply out of control and form a mass. These cancerous cells have the ability to invade other parts of the body. A number of types of pancr ...
, with an increase in consumption of per day leading to a 19% increase in risk.
This supported earlier studies, including the 2007 study "
Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity and the Prevention of Cancer: a Global Perspective", by the
World Cancer Research Fund
World Cancer Research Fund International is a not-for-profit association related to cancer prevention research related to diet
Diet may refer to:
Food
* Diet (nutrition), the sum of the food consumed by an organism or group
* Dieting, the del ...
and the
American Institute for Cancer Research
The American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) is a large American cancer research organization associated with the World Cancer Research Fund umbrella organization.
As of 2018, the charity has a "one star" rating from Charity Navigator
...
, which reviewed more than 7,000 studies published worldwide.
Among the recommendations was that, except for very rare occasions, people should avoid eating ham or other processed meats – cured, smoked, salted or chemically preserved meat products such as bacon, hot dogs, sausage, salami, and pastrami. The report states that once an individual reaches the weekly limit for red meat, every of processed meat consumed a day increases cancer risk by 21%.
A European
cohort study from 2013 also positively correlated processed meat consumption with higher all-cause mortality, with an estimation that 3.3% of the deaths amongst participants could have been prevented by consuming an average of less than of processed meat per day over the course of the study.
See also
*
Christmas ham
*
Ham and eggs
*
List of ham dishes
*
List of hams
*
List of smoked foods
This is a list of smoked foods. Smoking is the process of flavoring, cooking, or preserving food by exposing it to smoke from burning or smoldering material, most often wood. Foods have been smoked by humans throughout history. Meats and f ...
*
Spam
Spam may refer to:
* Spam (food), a canned pork meat product
* Spamming, unsolicited or undesired electronic messages
** Email spam, unsolicited, undesired, or illegal email messages
** Messaging spam, spam targeting users of instant messaging ...
*
Turkey ham
References
External links
Ham historyHam and food safetyat the
United States Department of Agriculture
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the federal executive department responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, and food. It aims to meet the needs of comme ...
''The Cook's Thesaurus'': "ham"
{{Authority control
Ancient dishes
Charcuterie
Lunch meat
Garde manger
Smoked meat
Thanksgiving food