Eating the EU

On my recent visit to Cologne I only managed to sample one ‘protected foodstuff’ in the city (Kölsch beer). We were on the lookout for Westfälischer Knochenschinken (a spicy ham from Cologne’s state of North-Rhine Westphalia), but didn’t find it. My saviour, however, turned out to be the airport’s duty free shop, where I found Black Forest Ham. I can’t think why this ham – from southeastern Germany – was the only type of ham for sale in a northwestern German airport, but I wasn’t complaining. At €12 or so it was fairly pricey, but it has provided me with enough for four separate lunches.

Black Forest Ham is a raw, smoked, boneless ham made by dry curing a cut from the hind leg of a pig. The Black Forest air supposedly plays an important role in getting the smoking just right, since it has ‘ideal climactic conditions’ for the cure. The wood from the fir trees which make up the forest are used to smoke the meat, which has a fairly mild smoky flavour.

It is quite a tough ham to cut – densely packed, unlike an English ham. The Germans particularly relish the thick layer of fat for its ‘nutty and spicy flavour’. In fact, if the ham does not have a thick layer of fat it cannot be sold as Schwarzwälder Schinken.

I ate it in sandwiches, both with cornichons and with French Comté cheese, which went particularly well.