Virginia Ham: A History of Salt & Smoke (American Palate)

Cured with a unique combination of salting and smoking, Virginia ham stands proudly alongside the most delectable meats in the world in taste and in heritage. Born of indigenous, African, and European practices, savory hams were an ever-present fixture on the tables of Virginia’s elite, including George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and James Monroe. The smoked and salted hog retains its place in the Old Dominion diet to this day and has become synonymous with one town in particular: Smithfield. Journalist John DeMers leads a lively tour through ham’s journey from China and Italy across the Iberian Peninsula and England on its way to becoming the perfect meat for Britain’s ever-carnivorous Virginia colony.  Read more