In the Yunnan area, if there is no deliberate emphasis on the region in front of the two words of ham, almost all Yunnan people will acquiesce, which is definitely Xuanwei ham.
The reason for this is that, first, because Xuanwei ham is famous, no one in Yunnan knows it, and no one knows it. Second, the annual production of Sherwin-Williams ham is indeed large, and it is everywhere.
As a Yunnan person who has never seen the world, he has only eaten Xuanwei ham for more than 20 years. Before the broadcast of "China on the Tip of the Tongue", Norden Ham had never heard of it, and it was not a joke.
But this time I went to Norden, personally understood, tasted, and also saw the whole process of Norden ham making.
Moreover, there is also a saying in the local area that the quality and taste of Norden ham are completely capable of crushing Xuanwei ham, and even crushing Jinhua ham, which is a veritable "first leg in the world".
Why?
Simply making a comparison map of Sherwin-Williams ham and Norden ham in terms of terrain, climate, process characteristics, shape and way of eating, we can find:
The excellence of Xuanwei ham is inseparable from its geographical environment and climatic conditions, that is, the so-called "favorable time and place," and even the "Xuanwei County Chronicle" declares: "Xuanwei Ham is famous in the world, and the climate is so."
Xuanwei is located in the west of the kunming quasi-stationary frontal zone, the altitude is also higher, close to 2000 meters, the winter temperature is lower and the humidity is larger, and the light is relatively sufficient, which is very suitable for the pickling and fermentation of ham. Next, the raw materials of traditional Sherwin-Williams ham are marinated in the hind legs of local black hair pigs commonly known as "Ujin pigs". Coupled with the maturity of technology, Sherwin-Williams ham has a long history of pickling, cutting, salting, storage, testing technology, very mature, almost pure fire, the annual output of more than 50,000 tons.
Look at the Norden ham, which is about 1800 meters above sea level, just in the middle of the river valley where the river turns, the climate is warm, suitable for the deep fermentation of ham.
However, despite the terrain and climate, Norden ham and Sherwin-Williams ham are actually very different in the production process.
The salt used to pickle Norden ham is not the ordinary iodized salt that can be bought everywhere, but the potassium-containing iodine-free well salt that is only available in the village of Norden, which has been passed down for thousands of years and is boiled in the ancient method.
In other words, Norden ham is currently the only ham on the market marinated with well salt, unique.
Yunlong County, where Norden is located, had five famous salt wells in ancient times – here is the ancient "Salt Horse Ancient Road". In 1383, the Ming government set up the "Five Wells Salt Class Lifting Division" in Nuodeng, under the jurisdiction of NuodengJing. As a result, it has become the throat of the western Yunnan region. The composition of Innoden salt is potassium chloride, and feeding livestock with potassium salt can prevent and control diseases, so the horse gang Yusino Deng salt.
To this day, the villagers of Nuodeng still go to the thousand-year-old salt well to draw water, and use the earth stove and iron pot to continuously boil and precipitate the salt for 24 hours, repeating the daily life of a thousand years ago.
It is said that ordinary iodized salt can only marinate six layers of meat, while Norden well salt can be marinated through at least seven layers. Moreover, even if you put more salt when you marinate, the taste will not be salty, and it will not be bitter.
Norden ham is not a large leg, so the advantages are obvious, the salt penetration is sufficient, and it will not be too heavy.
Indeed, when I first tasted Norden ham, I did feel that it was not as salty and heavy as Xuanwei ham, but more refreshing and sweet.
In addition, the whole village of Norden can not find a shop that specializes in selling ham, basically to find their own pickled ham to buy. Few villagers will take a dustpan and pack it with a few pieces of home-pickled ham, vacuum it, and stand at the entrance of the village to sell it.
The uncle of the pickled ham in the village told us, "Norden ham is mostly pickled by farmers, pure handmade, heavy quality, so the output is very small", even if some Norden ham processing plants emerged after the fire of "China on the Tip of the Tongue", its output is far less than other hams.
Perhaps it is precisely because there are more self-pickling and less production; on the one hand, it is rare and expensive, and on the other hand, there is less mixed fish and dragons. Coupled with the ancient fajing salt that has been passed down for thousands of years to give The unique temperament and soul of the Norden ham, the confidence of the Norden people in the Norden ham is overflowing with words, and they will say that the Norden ham is the "first leg in the world".