Ham is one of the traditional main dishes served at Christmas, and it is fascinating to take a closer look at both the history of this favorite piece of meat and the different ways of preparing it.
In The Reluctant Gourmet G. Stephen Jones writes about its origins: ”…Apparently, serving ham arises from the pre-Christian Norse tradition of killing a boar and serving it to honor Freya, one of the Norse Gods. In AD times, St. Stephen, whose feast day is December 26th, is often depicted as serving a boar’s head as an offering. And, as often happens when diverse traditions converge around the feasting table: Christmas ham was born…” [Read more…]