Prague ham

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]

Prague Ham on a stall at the Old Town Square in Prague

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

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]

Names in other languages

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

• Bulgarian: Пражка шунка.
• Czech and Slovakian: Pražská šunka.
• Danish: Prag Skinke.
• Dutch: Praagse Ham.
• Estonian: Praha sink.
• Finnish: Prahalainen kinkku.
• German: Prager Schinken.
• Greek: Χοιρομέρι Πράγας.
• Hungarian: Prágai sonka.
• Italian: Prosciutto di Praga.
• Latvian: Prāgas šķiņķis.
• Maltese: Perżut ta' Praga.
• Norwegian: Pragerskinke.
• Polish: Szynka Praska.
• Portuguese: Fiambre de Praga.
• Romanian: Șuncă de Praga.
• Serbo-Croatian and Slovene: Praška šunka.
• Serbian: Прашка шунка
• Spanish: Jamón de Praga.
• Swedish: Pragskinka.

See also

• Czech cuisine
• List of hams