Highlights
1. Gammon and ham are both meats from the hind legs of a pig, but the difference lies in their curing and treatment.
2. Gammon is sold raw and needs to be cooked before eating, while ham is sold cured and cooked and is ready to be used in sandwiches and salads.
3. Gammon is traditionally associated with Christmas festivities and is a popular choice during that time, but it can be enjoyed year-round. After it has been cooked, gammon becomes ham.
Introduction
Gammon and ham are both meats from the hind legs of a pig. They are loved for their taste and flavor, but many people get confused between the two due to their similarities. This article aims to explain the differences between gammon and ham based on their curing and treatment.
Gammon
Gammon is raw meat from the hind leg of a pig. It is cured before being sold. Although it is traditionally associated with Christmas festivities, gammon is bought and cooked throughout the year. Due to smaller families, buying a whole gammon weighing around 10 kg is impractical. Therefore, gammon is sold in smaller joints with various names such as corner, middle, and slipper gammons.
It’s important to note that gammon is meat cut from the hind leg of a pig after it has been cured. Curing involves the application of salt to preserve the meat.
Ham
Ham is also a cut from the hind leg of a pig, but it is treated differently. Ham is mostly sold after cooking. The word “ham” refers to the bend of the knee, reflecting the part of the pig from which it is cut. To prepare ham, the hind leg is cut off and preserved through smoking, salting, or drying (or a combination of these methods). Different types of wood, such as juniper, oak, or beech, are used for smoking, which gives the ham its flavor.
Smoked hams have a strong flavor depending on the type of wood used, while green hams, which are not smoked, have a milder taste. Ham is commonly sold cooked and sliced for use in sandwiches and salads.
Summary
In summary, the main differences between gammon and ham are:
– Gammon is sold raw and needs to be cooked, while ham is sold cured and cooked.
– Gammon is typically associated with Christmas festivities.
– After being cooked, gammon is essentially ham.
