Chinese Honey Ham

Chinese ham from Yunnan was frequently referred to during my childhood in Chicago. My mother used to buy Smithfield or Westphalian ham as a substitute but always told me that it was never so good as Yunnan ham. I finally sampled the exquisite taste of the Chinese ham when my Hong Kong mentor, Willie Mark, introduced me to its rich salty flavour; the ham was perfectly cooked and endowed with a heavy but not cloying sweetness reminiscent of honey. In fact, the sweetness came