Hams for Eating Raw

Jambon d’Ardennes, the best-known Belgian ham, smoked dark brown.

Jambon de Bayonne, French smoked ham with a smoky flavour and brown exterior, made around Orthez, to the east of Bayonne.

Jamón iberico, Spanish ham from the native Iberian pig which is reared in woodlands of S. and W. Spain, see the entry serrano ham.

Jamón serrano (‘mountain ham’), see the entry serrano ham.

Knochenschinken (‘ham on the bone’), a hard, heavily smoked German ham, almost black.

Landrauch, ‘country smoked’, heavily smoked and dry German ham.

Prosciutto crudo is the generic description of raw hams in Italy and the most famous are parma ham from Emilia Romagna, and prosciutto di San Daniele, made near Friuli in Udine province. Although San Daniele has been locally renowned, it is only since the 1960s that it has been seriously commercialized. Originally, it was made from the black pigs of Friuli, but now many other breeds qualify, provided they are of the correct conformation. Other hams, especially from Tuscany (thought salty by Anna del Conte, 2001), that deserve mention are those from Norcia in Umbria, Carpegna in Marche, and Sauris in Friuli.

Westfälische Schinken (Westphalian ham), a notable German ham, first dry salted then brined, scrubbed with clean water to reduce its saltiness, and gently smoked with beech and juniper wood with occasional additions of juniper berries.