city ham

In Appalachian and Southern speech, "city ham" means a wet-cured or brined ham - the mild, pink kind you find at the grocery store. It’s contrasted with "country ham," which is dry-cured, saltier, and often homemade or specialty-cured.

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Hillbilly Dude Says...

I always preferred 'city ham' to 'country ham' because the other is so salty.

Pronunciation

[SIT-ee ham]

Meaning & Usage

- Wet-cured or brined ham (contrast to country ham) (noun)

Mae:

Is this salty like country ham?

Earl:

No - it’s just city ham, mild and sweet.

variations: wet-cured ham, grocery-store ham, brined ham

★ "City ham" is the modern, wet-cured ham you’ll find in supermarkets. "Country ham" is its old-time, dry-cured cousin, with a stronger flavor and a tradition of being aged and smoked in a smokehouse. ★

Origin

The term "city ham" arose in the mid-20th century South to distinguish mass-produced wet-cured hams from the traditional country-cured hams made in smokehouses. It reflects a cultural shift from homemade preservation to store-bought convenience.

Notes

Still widely used in the South to make the distinction clear at family meals, grocery stores, and church cookbooks. Outside the region people simply say "ham" unless specifically contrasting it with country ham.

Say It Like a Southerner

Say it plain: "city ham." The phrase draws a clear line between store-bought wet-cured ham and the old-timey dry-cured country ham.

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Common Questions

What’s the difference between city ham and country ham?

City ham is wet-cured and milder; country ham is dry-cured, saltier, and often aged.

Do people outside the South use the term "city ham"?

Rarely - it’s mostly a Southern contrast term.

Can you cook city ham like country ham?

You can heat it or glaze it, but it’s already cooked and milder, so it won’t taste the same.