You might ask, “What about deli ham? That’s weirdly uniform and pink.” That’s a different story. Deli ham is often reconstituted—ground up, molded back into a vaguely leg-shaped log, and drowned in brine. It’s the meat version of a Frankenstein monster, but a delicious one.
Ham Is From What Animal at Terri Kent blog
Fresh ham, on the other hand, is literally just a pig’s leg that hasn’t been cured. It’s basically a giant pork roast. If you served fresh ham at a holiday dinner, your grandmother would call it a “roast” and you’d nod and eat it with gravy, none the wiser.
The “What About Turkey Ham?” Trap
Let’s pause for a moment. Some supermarkets sell “turkey ham.” That is a lie. Turkey ham is turkey meat that has been processed to taste like ham. It’s like buying a plant-based burger and calling it a “cow steak.” It’s fine, but it’s not the real thing.
I bought turkey ham once by mistake. I bit into it, paused, and said aloud to my empty kitchen: “Why does this taste like a sad bird?” That’s the moment I swore allegiance to the pig forever.
