Ham making technique (Jinhua Ham curing technique)

Name of Chinese national intangible cultural heritage: Ham making technique (Jinhua Ham curing technique)

Applicant: Jinhua City, Zhejiang Province

Item No.: 949

Project No.: VIII - 166

Time of publication: 2008 (second batch)

Category: traditional art

Region: Zhejiang Province

Type: new item

Applicant: Jinhua City, Zhejiang Province

Protection unit: Jinhua ham industry association

Introduction to ham making technology (Jinhua Ham curing technology)

Applicant: Jinhua City, Zhejiang Province

Jinhua ham in Zhejiang Province is famous for its bright color, unique fragrance, attractive flavor and beautiful appearance. It is one of the best preserved meat products in China. Jinhua's four seasons subtropical climate and unique geographical environment create a unique ham curing technology. As early as the Tang Dynasty, Jinhua already had ham curing technology. Until the Ming Dynasty, Jinhua ham was listed as a tribute, and its production spread all over Dongyang, Yongkang and other places in Jinhua.

The pig used to make Jinhua ham is known as "Chinese Panda pig". Its head, neck, buttocks and tail are black, while the rest are white. It is commonly known as "Liangtouwu". It has moderate size, thin bone, thin skin, moderate fat, tender meat and full legs. When curing ham, its hind legs are used as special raw materials. Pigs must be slaughtered between the beginning of winter and the beginning of spring of the next year. The hind legs of pigs used to make ham should be white claws, straight feet, intact leg shape, and the weight should be between 6 and 7.5 kg. Jinhua ham is usually pickled at low temperature from the beginning of winter to the beginning of spring of the next year, and then goes through a series of processes, such as medium temperature dehydration and high temperature fermentation, and finally becomes fragrant and mature after being laid in. The whole pickling process is fine and complex. In the process of production, the shape of ham is unified by cutting, cutting, repairing, pressing, twisting, knocking, holding and patting, so that the finished product is shaped like bamboo leaf or pipa. The results showed that Jinhua ham was rose red, the fat was crystal clear, fat but not greasy, and the taste was delicious.

A thousand years of historical heritage has created Jinhua Ham's unique curing technology and related diet and local folk culture. In 1905, Jinhua Ham won the gold medal at the Leipzig World Exposition in Germany. Since then, Jinhua ham has gained a high reputation in the international catering industry and become a high-grade seasoning in overseas Chinese catering.