Where in SF can I buy Smithfield ham?

[vulber]

And if it's a Chinese market, what's the best way to ask for it?

[mzsnowhite]

Ranch 99 carries Gwaltney Ham. It is a subsidiary of Smithfield and located right across the street from the Smithfield factory. I've been there many time. I can't honestly tell the difference between the two.

[Mission]

Why not mail order and get the real deal?

http://www.smithfieldhams.com

[Melanie Wong]

Because it's cheaper to buy a genuine Smithfield ham at a Chinese market and not pay shipping costs or have to wait.
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/6756...

[Mission]

Perhaps they are cheaper for a reason?

Hormel makes lots of of grocery store sandwich style hams.

But the only one worth a damn is the "Cure 81"
which is always the most expensive.

[bigwheel042]

I imagine they are cheaper because:

-the market buys them in bulk
-as Melanie said, you don't have to pay for shipping

These are not "sandwich style" hams we're talking about. An uncooked, hard country ham ain't Oscar Mayer.

[Melanie Wong]

If you open the link and read what I posted and look at the photo, you'll see that the brands sold at the Chinese markets are well-known Smithfield brands. The domestic ethnic Chinese market is a significant niche for Smithfield and has been for many decades.

[soupçon]

It's sometimes labeled as "Jinhua Ham."

[Malcolm Ruthven]

Jinhua Ham is type of ham produced in China.

[soupçon]

I know well enough that it's produced in a suburb of Shanghai, having been to China a dozen times. I've even smuggled some back myself. . But it cannot be legally imported, and I've seen cured Smithfield ham slices sometimes signed as "Jinhua" ham in Chinese characters.

[Malcolm Ruthven]

Thanks, I didn't get your point before.

[vulber]

just got some from sunset supermarket, thanks!

[bigwheel042]

The "Virginia ham" in Chinese markets is a pretty close substitute as I understand it. I've seen it cut in the refrigerator case in slices of 0.5-1.0 lb at Sunset Super. A little goes quite a long way.

[Robert Lauriston]

Or the freezer case.

[Cynsa]

also at the Chinese market on Clement Street, next to the parking lot in the same block as the 4-Star movie theater (not the produce market, the tiny meat-poultry-fish market at the west end of the string of shops)

[Cynsa]

New Wing Hing Seafood Market, 2222 Clement Street. Virginia Ham/Smithfield $4.99 lb.