Smithfield, Virginia - World's Oldest Edible Cured Ham

The cured ham is also the oldest edible cured ham in the world. It looks gross with green mold on the outside, which we were assured could be scraped off if one wanted to eat the ham. Of course, these type of cured hams have to be soaked in water for at least 24 hours and then slow cooked for hours prior to eating.

This is a neat little museum, they have revolutionary war and civil war items as well as the items from the Smithfield hams industry. The main street of town where the museum is located is worth spending a day exploring. A bronze statue of Ben Franklin sits on a bench outside the local newspaper The Smithfield Times. The Smithfield Bakery has the best muffins, cookies, and sandwiches on homemade bread.

The museum has pictures of the ham biscuit from 2002 at 8 feet in width, 14 inches tall...500 pounds of Smithfield Ham. The Smithfield Ham Biscuit, which was made during last year's 250th Anniversary Celebration, was accepted by Guinness World Records as the World's Largest Ham Biscuit. [Lana, 04/27/2003]

World's Largest Cured Ham at the Isle of Wight County Museum. [Julie C. Grimes, 06/25/1997]