Chapter 594
After finding a place to park the car, the father and daughter chose the largest store and walked over. They could smell the rich aroma of meat just at the door.
In the glass counter, dozens of hams are neatly stacked. Each one is rosy in color, shining with an attractive oily luster under the warm yellow light, and the skin is slightly shiny, as if wrapped in a layer of amber honey.
Several huge hams were hung above the counter, tied with thick hemp ropes, swaying gently in the breeze.
The boss is a middle-aged man in his forties, who is enthusiastically explaining to the guests:
"This ham isn't necessarily better the older it gets! Hams aged two to three years are the most delicious, with firm texture and just the right amount of saltiness and aroma. Hams aged over five years are too salty, and hams over ten years old, while they smell good, taste…"
He paused deliberately, causing everyone to crane their necks. "Even the dog won't eat!"
The group of people gathered in front of the counter looked like tourists. Some of them nodded frequently, while others couldn't help but get close to the ham to take a closer look. Their focused expressions made them look as attentive as if they were in class at school.
After a good promotion, the boss handed the guests over to the workers to receive them. He saw the father and daughter of the Su family craning their necks behind the crowd.
He walked to the other side of the counter and said:
"You two want to buy some ham? This is authentic Jinhua ham, made from the hind legs of local 'Liangtouwu' (black-necked ham), pickled and sun-dried using traditional methods!"
Su Miao and his father looked at the hams on the counter. They were laymen, so they might be able to tell if the quality and color of the hams were very different, but they really didn't know how to choose one with only subtle differences like this.
Su Yuanzheng approached the counter, pointed at a medium-sized ham, and asked, "How much is this?"
"Comrade, you have good eyesight! This is two years old, the meat is quite tender. Smell this aroma..."
The boss deftly took out the ham, poked the hoof lightly with a thin bamboo stick, and then moved closer to Su Yuanzheng. A rich salty and fresh smell immediately penetrated his nostrils.
Su Miao looked at the surface of the ham curiously. There was a thin layer of white frost on the reddish-brown skin. The boss explained that this was salt frost, a sign of high-quality ham.
"Would you like to try our ham?" The boss smiled and handed over a small plate with two slices of ham on it.
Su Miao took the thin slice of ham, and when he held it up to the light, it actually showed a faint pink color.
She carefully put it into her mouth, and immediately, the salty and fresh taste bloomed on the tip of her tongue, followed by a hint of sweetness.
The father and daughter looked at each other and nodded, it was indeed delicious.
After looking at several hams, the boss explained them in detail, but they really couldn't tell the difference, so they chose the one they liked the most.
"Then let's take this one. Please pack it for us, as we need to take it on a long journey."
"Okay!"
The boss skillfully took out a large piece of oil paper and said as he was wrapping it:
"I'll wrap it in two layers and tie it tightly with straw rope to ensure the oil won't leak. Just hang it in a cool, ventilated place when you get home. It won't spoil quickly in this weather, so it's best to eat it as soon as possible."
You can steam it, let it cool, and slice it to eat. You can also steam fish or stir-fry garlic sprouts or lettuce, and add a few slices to stewed soup. It's so delicious that it'll make you want to swallow your tongue!
The father and daughter returned to the car. Su Miao carefully placed the ham on the back seat and said, "When we get back to Yongcheng, I'll go to the library and look for a book that explains how to eat Jinhua ham in detail. After traveling a thousand miles, you have to be a little more particular about it."
It was almost five o'clock. In the setting sun, the hams hanging in front of the ham shops were shining with a golden red luster, and together with the bustling crowds, they formed a picture full of life.
They came to a state-owned guesthouse. When they entered, Su Miao specially picked up some ham, intending to study it carefully later.
After booking two rooms, they were about to go upstairs when an old man who was reading a newspaper in the living room suddenly said, "Young comrade, did you buy some ham?"
The old man put down the newspaper, pushed the black-framed glasses on his nose, and stared at the ham in Su Miao's hand with burning eyes.
It was so cold, but he didn't wear a cotton jacket. He was wearing a neat Zhongshan suit, looking like an old cadre.
Su Miao nodded and said, "Yes, uncle, we just passed by the market and saw many people buying them. I bought one too and wanted to take it back to try."
The girl at the front desk suddenly poked her head out, her pigtails swaying in a lively arc as she moved:
"Section Chief Chen was the head of the quality inspection department at the Jinhua Ham Factory before he retired. He's an expert on ham. You can ask him to check if the ham you bought is good. If not, you can return it."
Su Miao took the ham forward and asked, "Could you trouble Section Chief Chen to take a look at it for us?"
"Hey~ I'm just a retired old man, you can just call me Uncle Chen. I'll help you check if you bought anything too expensive."
Section Chief Chen skillfully untied the straw rope and gently lifted the oil paper.
He first leaned in to smell it, then gently pressed his fingers on the surface of the ham, knocked it, and looked up and down at the cut that had been made when they had just picked the ham.
Then he nodded and said, "This ham is pretty good. It's been salted for a long time and fermented properly. It's above the passing line."
Just as Su Miao was happy that he had bought good ham, he added:
"But this isn't from the Jinhua Ham Factory. It's made in our own shop. Even at the same price, the quality is still a little worse."
Su Yuanzheng asked confusedly, "Ah? Isn't this Jinhua ham?"
Section Chief Chen laughed and said, "That depends on your definition of Jinhua ham. If you think that ham made in Jinhua using traditional techniques is Jinhua ham, then that is indeed the case.
But the time-honored brands that we locals refer to are still those produced by the Jinhua Ham Factory. Oh, it has now been renamed the Zhejiang Province Jinhua Ham Factory.
After the opening, many ham processing workshops in Jinhua used the Jinhua Ham brand as their trademark. As the number of hams on the market increased, the quality varied, and it felt like the brand had been damaged.”
"This... did we buy fakes?"
"You can't say it's fake. There are still many good brands. The ham you bought is okay, but...how should I describe it? It's not regular.
Our factory's hams are meticulously crafted, from the selection of pig breeds, the length of curing, to the drying temperature."
"Ah... bro, where can I buy 'regular army'? We've come all this way, and we've finally made it here, so we have to buy the most authentic ones."
Section Chief Chen looked at his watch and said, "How about we go to our factory store to buy it? But the store should be getting ready to close now. How about this, if you're not in a hurry to leave tomorrow morning, I'll take you there to buy it.
The retail price is set by the factory and cannot be negotiated, but with my good looks, maybe I can get them to give you a few gifts."
Su Yuanzheng said gratefully, "Okay, okay! Thank you very much, brother."
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