Brief introduction of Jinhua ham

Zhejiang Jinhua flavor food. Legend has it that it originated in the Northern Song Dynasty, when Zong Ze, a famous soldier in the Northern Song Dynasty, returned from defeat. The villagers rushed to send the pig leg back to Kaifeng to comfort the soldiers. Because of the long distance, they salted them for carrying. Pickled pork legs are red as fire, so they are called ham. It was listed as a tribute in the Qing Dynasty. Jinhua's "double-headed black" pig has fat hind legs and tender meat. After curing, shaping, turning legs, washing, drying and other processes, it takes several months to make it. The fragrance is rich. Easy to store and carry, selling well at home and abroad.

The history of Jinhua ham

Jinhua ham has a long history. According to legend, Zong Ze (Yiwu), a famous gold fighter in the Southern Song Dynasty, was the originator of the ham industry. Legend has it that he pickled the pork from his hometown and took it to the palace to give it to the emperor. Seeing that the cut leg was as red as fire, the emperor named it "Jinhua Ham".

Brilliance of Jinhua ham

Since then, Jinhua ham has been famous at home and abroad for its "four wonders" of color, fragrance, taste and shape, and it was exported to Japan and Southeast Asian countries as early as the Qing Dynasty. Won the 19 15 Panama international commodity fair special prize for commodity quality. Jinhua ham has been selling well in Britain and America since 1930s.

Types of Jinhua ham

Due to different raw materials, processing seasons and curing methods, Jinhua ham has many different varieties. If it is pickled in the dead of winter, it is called Zhengdong leg; The leg that is shaped like a crescent is called a moon leg; Processing with front legs, rectangular, called wind legs; Hanging between pots and stoves, often smoked by bamboo leaves, called smoked legs; Pickled with sugar, called sugar legs; And pickled with dog legs, called legs.

Characteristics of Jinhua ham

Jinhua ham is refined from the hind legs of Jinhua double-headed black pig. Its skin color is Huang Liang, which looks like bamboo leaves. Its flesh color is ruddy, its aroma is rich, its nutrition is rich and its taste is delicious. It is a gift, a delicious and nourishing crystal. According to the Compendium of Materia Medica compiled by Zhao Xuemin in Qing Dynasty, Jinhua ham is beneficial to kidney, stomach, body fluid, aphrodisiac, marrow and foot. In daily life, patients recover their vitality, the elderly live longer, and women take care of themselves after childbirth. Eating ham can not only stimulate appetite, increase the taste of food, but also nourish and strengthen the body, killing two birds with one stone, which is wonderful. There are more than ten ham factories in Jindong District, with an annual output of 500,000 hams, which are sold all over the country and all over the world.

Addendum to Jinhua ham

Zong Ze's story is true. The original name of ham is Zong Ze's hometown leg.

The more scientific explanation for the origin of ham is this. Ham actually originated in Wenzhou. There are often floods in Wenzhou, and because of the coastal areas, whenever there is a flood, the seawater will flow backwards. After the flood, the farmers came back from the shelter. Because the monks couldn't get out of the temple, and the flood came quickly and violently, large items such as livestock could not be taken away in time, farmers dug up some daily necessities and farm tools from the mud. Some drowned pigs were dug out of the mud and treated with natural nitrite and sodium chloride in seawater to become natural bacon or ham. Although pork was submerged by sea water, people tried to eat the submerged meat without rotting because there was no food to eat at that time. In fact, it tastes good and it is easy to keep fresh. Later, people invented the method of toad and bacon in the hole.

Ham is divided into super, first, second and third grades. It is necessary for a knowledgeable person to insert a label to judge the quality of ham. The label is made of bamboo, like an awl. A ham has three different parts, and each symbol is in a different part. According to different positions, it is divided into three signs: upper, middle and lower. Requirements for super legs: claws should be bent, ankles should be thin, legs should be full of leaves, fat thickness should not exceed 2 cm, and all three signs should have good fragrance. First-class leg requirements: two of the three signs should have a good smell, but none of the three signs should have an odor. Secondary leg requirements: no odor. Three-level leg requirements: a sign stinks. Super ham and first-class ham have red rings, second-class ham has yellow rings and third-class ham has no rings. These three kinds of hams are all printed with gallnut ink. But some hams are shoddy, so it's best to go to a regular place, such as a well-known supermarket. It's also my pleasure to come to the ham factory to buy our factory, but it's not easy to find, usually in the suburbs. Some famous ham shops are also better, such as Bandung Ham Shop. If it is an ordinary store, it depends on skill and luck.

There are also two products made of salt legs, one is called white board legs, which means Jinhua ham without sealing (if it is made according to the standard). This product will be stamped with Jinhua ham. Generally, their quality is not high, which is probably due to incomplete fermentation (semi-finished products) or odor. But it's not too bad, it's ok (just look at it and you'll know that all the hopeless ones have been thrown away). The other is called dried salt leg, which is the product of air-dried salt leg without fermentation. Because this kind of leg can be made all year round, it is very likely to spray dichlorvos when there are many flies in hot weather. The color of normal ham is the dark red of rose, while the salted dry legs are bright red, just like the red on the girl's face, softer than ham. Of course, according to the standard, dried salt legs should also have no rings and seals.

The production of ham goes through more than 80 processes. We can talk about the simple process: acceptance of fresh pork legs ★, trimming and cutting of leg blanks, curing ★ (curing room and leg bed, the total salt content is 9%~ 12% of the weight of fresh legs, and the dosage of sodium nitrite is ≤0.3‰)(* * * * six times), soaking legs, washing legs (stamping, first and second times), and. Relative humidity 70%~82%, fermentation room) (dry knife, pest inspection), shelf grading, stacking (turning and oiling), finished product. Note: ★ Quality control point.

Ham is now only sold in Hong Kong, Southeast Asia and Singapore, and only fakes and smuggling are sold in Japan. The kind of ham eaten for breakfast in Europe and America is Parma ham produced by mechanization all the year round, and the price is about 100 yuan per catty. The European standard is quite strict, which requires that the raw materials of pig legs come from livestock farms, and no plague can occur within 200 kilometers around, so Jinhua ham has not yet entered the European and American markets.

food therapy

Ham is warm and salty;

Has the effects of invigorating spleen, stimulating appetite, promoting fluid production, nourishing blood, nourishing kidney and replenishing essence.

It can be used for treating fatigue, palpitation, spleen deficiency, anorexia, chronic diarrhea and dysentery, and soreness of waist and legs.

Stewed soup is often used as a food to stimulate appetite and increase food for lying-in women or after illness in Jiangnan area. Ham has been used as an auxiliary food after operation because it can accelerate wound healing.