KUNMING: During the Chinese New Year holiday, local delicacies take center stage at festive gatherings, with Yongde County in southwest China’s Yunnan Province seeing a flourishing “ham bank” business as the seasoned meat has become an indispensable ingredient for holiday feasts.
Yongde, known for its windy and cool climate, provides ideal conditions for preserving hams. The county has developed specialized facilities, designed for optimal ventilation and air-drying, that can store up to 200,000 hams annually, giving rise to what locals affectionately call “ham banks.”
Typically, the hams are hung for a year before being brought out for New Year celebrations, either to serve visiting relatives and friends or for sale.
However, those aged for two years or more develop a richer, more aromatic flavor, making them highly sought after.
“I charge 30 yuan for storing a ham for the first year and an additional 20 yuan for the second year. This year, I’m storing about 500 hams,” said Xu Xuegui, a ham cellar owner, explaining the storage process.
“Normally, the ham produced this year is sold next year, while the ham produced next year is sold the year after.”
Hams are often cooked with vegetables, and those aged over three years — priced at 600 yuan each (about 83 U.S. dollars) — can be eaten raw, much like the Spanish Iberico ham. –Agencies
