What makes Black Forest ham a delicacy
Good food, everything's fine!
With its distinctive smoky flavor, produced according to centuries-old tradition and deeply rooted in the region, Black Forest ham is appreciated by gourmets all over the world. The connection between this culinary specialty and the Black Forest was also cemented in 1997 with the EU "PGI" (Protected Geographical Indication) label, which allows production and processing exclusively in the Black Forest.
The characteristic smoking process was originally born out of necessity, as there were no cold stores available to preserve food. The solution lay in salting and smoking – a method that is still used today. The finest cut of pork, the hind leg, is cured with salt and spices, which removes moisture from the meat.
Pepper, bay leaves, and juniper berries are mainly used to add flavor. A brine is formed in which the ham matures for about five weeks and develops its unique aromas. The meat is then air-dried before being hung in high towers for smoking.
There, the Black Forest ham slowly dries for one to two weeks in cold smoke over fir brushwood and local conifer sawdust. The flavors are finally refined and intensified in the last stage of maturation before the ham goes on sale after about three months.
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