Westphalian ham
Westphalian ham is a traditional raw ham from Westphalia with a particularly spicy aroma. It owes its special taste to the fact that the long bone remains in the ham during the entire production process. The ham has been produced in the Münsterland lowlands , in the Osnabrücker Land and in the Sauerland since the early Middle Ages and was traded in Cologne as early as the 12th century . Its tradition is based on the acorn mast , which was operated in Westphalia in earlier centuries. Due to the large stock of oak forests, pig fattening and breeding was particularly successful in Westphalia .
The ham is first cured dry by hand on the bone for a few weeks and then cold- smoked over beech wood for three to five months until it takes on a dark red color and a golden yellow rind . It then matures for another month, then the bone is removed. The total manufacturing time ranges from six months to 18 months for the best qualities. Today a particularly mild, only air-dried ham is offered.
The cool weather used to be a prerequisite for curing the ham, so production always started in autumn. Then as now, the ham was rubbed several times with a salt and saltpeter mixture, and sugar was also added. After the actual salting, a three-week burn-through phase followed. The hams were traditionally hung in the so-called "Wiemen" or "Bosen" to dry. The hall house that was common in northern Germany at the time had no chimney and so the area above the fireplace was constantly in smoke. This area in front of the fireplace was also called "Westphalian Heaven". If you did not have a smoke house , you could smoke in cold smoke in a smokehouse over beech wood sawdust, if desired. The Westphalian ham was cut in May when the cuckoo called. This is why asparagus and ham are still combined in food to this day .
Westphalian ham is also obtained from the endangered pig breed " Bentheimer Landschwein ".
The Westphalian bone ham was entered in the European register of protected designations of origin and protected geographical indications on November 25, 2013 . With its designation of origin , as with the Aachener Printe , the Parmesan , the Cognac or the Parma ham , a direct geographical assignment is given. In order to avoid trade barriers, the fact that the meat also has to come from Westphalian stables was waived.
Web links
- Schutzgemeinschaft Westfälische Schinken- und Wurstspezialitäten e. V.
- Westphalian Ham Museum
- European Official Journal: Entry as a protected designation of origin with product and production description (PDF)
- Ham smokehouse - Gut Erpenbeck, member and founding origin of the protection association Westphalian ham and sausage specialties e. V.