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General Discussion

Californian needs help understanding country/virginia ham!!

metaphora | Jan 14, 201004:20 PM     13

Hi all:

I've been dying to try the Eggs with Cream, Spinach, and Country Ham recipe on epicurious.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/foo...

However, finding country ham in Los Angeles hasn't been easy. What I've read suggests that country ham is intensely flavored and much saltier than regular ham, and it seems to be only available via mail order outside the south.

Today, when I was at the asian market, I saw something labeled "Virginia Ham." I bought it (see photo). The asian market seems like a really strange place to find country ham, so I'm extremely skeptical and unsure if this is the same ham I need for the recipe. Yet some posts here seem to say that yes, indeed, the asian markets in CA carry something very close to country ham.

I have a LOT of questions:

1) Is country ham the same thing as virginia ham? The internet and another post here suggests it is.

2) Are there cooked v. uncooked versions of country ham? Is one synonymous with "country ham"? i.e. is country ham as called for in recipes typically cooked?

3) How do I know which type (cooked or uncooked) I need for this particular recipe?

4) And what I really want to know is this: What did I buy and is this what I need for my egg recipe?

Thanks all.

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