Why we eat ham on Easter
Practical considerations, the tradition was born.
AtEaster tables Without the world, you are most likely to see the lamb - that is, everywhere in the world, with the exception of the United States, of course. Easter ham is also omnipresent as theEaster Bunnyin America. It's just a slicit of the50 pork pounds We eat one year per capita. So, how did the United States come to change the traditional Easter meal? Well, everything is a question of practicality and taste. Read on to find out why most Americanseating ham on easter, not the lamb.
The traditional easter meal
The service of the lamb dates back to the time before Christianity. It is actually connected to the history of the Passover, which is always celebrated by Jewish families today.
"According to the history of biblical exodus, the inhabitants of Egypt have undergone a series of terrible wounds, including the death of all the sons of the firstborn," says Stephanie Butler of theHistorical chain. "The Jews painted their door positions with the sacrificed lamb blood so that God" goes on "their houses while performing the punishment. Climbing to the eating lamb roasted to the Passover, the Jews who have converted to Christianity continued the tradition at Easter. "
Lamb
Travel to New Zealand or Eastern Europe, and you will find that the lamb, especially in the spring, is always rich, but it has never known the level of popularity in America that it sees elsewhere.
Indeed, in 2017American meat companies produced 25.6 billion beef pounds compared to 150.2 million pounds of sheep and lamb (the only meat we eat less is calf, while the chicken is at the top of our list).
The average American eats less than a book of lamb per year, Megan Wortman, Executive Director ofAmerican lamb council, RecountThe New York Times' Kim Severson in 2017.
The lamb tends to be expensive, delicate to cook and taste acquired for American palaces. Those who grew up the lamb consumption at home probably associate with copious quantities of mint jelly, intended to hide the flavor of Gamey and the core texture that comes from the too cooked.
Lamb to ham
But it was not always the case. "The lamb was more common when the wool was greater than the demand," said Severon. Over the last 75 years, she noted that the number of sheep at the USS has increased from $ 56 million to only six million.
While synthetic tissues started to emerge in the 1940s and the wool was no longer necessary for world uniforms in the world, the need for sheep also decreased.
In addition, military rations of canned sheep (which is meat of a maturity, as opposed to a young, mutton) during the war killed the American appetite for the lamb a little, Wortman has saidThe temperature. She said that after experiencing business for years, soldiers had promised never to eat it again.
In as a pig
With the popularity of Lamb, the door was wide open for a new star of the Easter meal. And the timing for the ham in the stage was perfect.
Traditionally, the pigs are slaughtered when it starts to become cold and that the meat could remain fresh in lower temperatures because it was decomposed. Back when there was no refrigeration, farmers would put aside the meat they did not sell to becured during the winter preserve it (and their income).
In the spring, the cooked meat was ready to eat - just in time for Easter! Since then, this has been a popular choice for holiday brunch or dinner meals.
So practical considerations, the tradition was born.
Invest in the piggy bank
There are many reasons whyHam is so popular Statistics. Not only is it readily available and affordable, but it is a range of oven-cooked honey options, smoked, country, glazing, Os-in, boneless, spiral ... the list continues.
The hams are also larger than the lamb and easily serve a crowd. You can buy the fresh or frozen, prepared or ready to add your own flucres (brown sugar and pineapple someone?).
Any way you slicic, ham is a great seller on Easter. According to the National Federation of Retail,About 81% Americans celebrate Easter and 87% have a dedicated Easter meal - andspend $ 5.7 billion collective dollars on the food.
The big question is this: will you eat ham or lamb this easter?
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