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Prague ham

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Prague Ham on a stall at the Old Town Square in Prague

Prague Ham (Czech: Pražská šunka, German: Prager Schinken) is a type of brine-cured, stewed, and mildly beechwood-smoked boneless ham[1][2] originally from Prague in Bohemia (Czech Republic). When cooked on the bone, it is called šunka od kosti ("ham from the bone"), considered a delicacy.[2] It was first marketed in the 1860s by Antonín Chmel, a pork butcher from Prague's Zvonařka ("Bell-Maker street") on the Nuselské schody (The Nusle Steps).[1]

It was a popular export during the 1920s and 1930s – to the point that other cultures started copying the recipe and making it domestically. Pražská šunka/Prague Ham is registered as a Traditional Speciality Guaranteed in the European Union and the UK and can only be produced according to a specified procedure.[3]

Prague Ham as street food

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Prague Ham is traditionally served in restaurants and from street vendors with a side of boiled potatoes[4] and often accompanied by Czech beer.[2]

Most street vendors sell it by weight in grams rather than per serving.[5]

Names in other languages

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The following translations are registered for the Traditional Speciality Guaranteed:[3]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Prague Ham
  2. ^ a b c "About Prague Ham - and Czech Beer". Archived from the original on 2016-08-10. Retrieved 2014-08-27.
  3. ^ a b "Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/506 of 26 March 2018 entering a name in the register of traditional specialities guaranteed ('Pražská šunka' (TSG))". European Union. 26 March 2018. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
  4. ^ Scam Detector - The Old Prague Ham Scam
  5. ^ TripAdvisor.com - Prague, Czech Republic - Old Town Square (Staromestske namesti) - "Great Location but beware your dining choices!"