The market · Meat · East Asia

Jinhua hams

China's great cured ham, from Zhejiang — aged for a year or more until deeply savoury. Used in small amounts to flavour stocks, braises and Buddha jumps over the wall.

salty · deeply savoury · aged

What to do with it

Kenji Hara's Sourdough, 100% ryeJinhua ham would give it depthIbu Sari's Beef rendangJinhua ham would give it depthAna Etxarri's ChawanmushiJinhua ham would season itRosa Ibarra's Clarified milk punch, mezcal and pineappleJinhua ham would give it depth
Classics built on it
HuaiyangDazhu gansiPressed tofu shaved into hair-fine threads, simmered in a rich chicken stock with shreds of ham, chicken, bamboo shoot and prawns.No one here has made it yetFujianBuddha jumps over the wallA banquet soup of abalone, sea cucumber, fish maw, scallops, meats and mushrooms, sealed in a jar with rice wine and simmered for hours.No one here has made it yetAnhuiHuangshan braised pigeonPigeon stewed slowly in a clay pot with Chinese yam, ham and ginger until the meat is soft and the broth clear and rich.No one here has made it yetAnhuiHuizhou one-potA deep iron pot layered with bamboo shoots, pork, fried tofu, egg dumplings and greens, simmered slowly and brought to the table whole.No one here has made it yetAnhuiLi Hongzhang hotchpotchA banquet mix of sea cucumber, fish maw, squid, ham, chicken, tofu and mushroom, simmered together in a good stock.No one here has made it yet

If you can't find it

Rarely sold outside China.

  1. 1Jamón
    The same weight, or prosciutto
    You lose some of the deep, aged savour — but close.

Goes with

chicken stocktofubamboo shootrock sugar

Knowing it

Where to buy
Hard to find outside China. A good, dry-aged Spanish or Italian ham is the usual substitute.
Worth knowing
Soak or blanch slices before simmering to take out some salt.

Kitchens that keep it in

Jiangsu province and the lower Yangtze, eastern ChinaHuaiyangDelicate and exact: fine knife work, clear stocks and a gentle sweetness, cooked to bring out an ingredient's own flavour rather than to cover it.7 classicsZhejiang province, eastern ChinaZhejiangFresh, mellow and gently sweet: lake fish and river shrimp, young bamboo, cured ham and a good deal of Shaoxing wine, cooked to taste of themselves.7 classics

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