Why Virginia Is Known For Its Ham

"Virginia is for lovers," the state's tourism slogan proudly declares, and that's true whether you're a lover of colonial history, national parks with stunning autumn foliage, or states that have a frankly inexplicable number of independent cities. But what about food lovers? What dish does Virginia have to its name, something that can rival Maryland's crab cakes or the Carolinas' vinegar-saturated barbecue? Why, the Virginia ham, of course!

Who could resist something so smoky, so salty, so succulent and juicy? You can have it by itself, or you can pile the ham onto biscuits. Virginia ham has the added bonus of being a phrase that rolls off the tongue in a most pleasing way. Virginia ham just sounds right in a way that, say, Tennessee ham or Kentucky ham doesn't. But the name is far from arbitrary: Virginia has a history with ham that goes back to the state's very beginning, from the settling of Jamestown in 1607 all the way through to the present day.

Pigs were not indigenous to the area that would become Virginia. English settlers brought them over on boats, either from England or from the colony of Bermuda in the mid-Atlantic. Virginia turned out to be a perfect environment for pigs. In fact, the conditions proved to be almost too perfect. The pigs began eating ravenously and breeding with abandon, and it soon got to the point where the settlers had to round them up and put the pigs on a peninsula that jutted out into the James River. This area eventually became known as Hog Island.

As it happened, the indigenous Powhatan Native Americans had plenty of experience with curing meat — although they preferred venison — and they showed the English settlers how best to salt and smoke their meat in order to keep it not only edible but palatable. It was the kind of peaceful cultural exchange that happened every now and then between the Native Americans and the settlers — although, of course, not nearly often enough.

After the Civil War, Virginia became a popular place to grow peanuts. In following decades, legendary agriculture scientist George Washington Carver developed countless ways to make use of the crop, and Virginia's loamy soil turned out to be ideal for goober growth. The state went on to play a large role in the history of peanuts in America. 

By as early as the 19th century, peanuts were being eaten by Virginian pigs. The pigs would happily eat their fill of any leftovers from recent harvests. This turned out to be not only convenient, but a downright boon. The pigs that fed on peanuts made for absolutely scrumptious ham, which possessed a singular flavor and a texture that simply melted in the mouth.

The town of Smithfield in particular became renowned for its delicious ham; Queen Victoria would special order a half-dozen Smithfield hams a week for her palace kitchens, and demand only increased from there. Eventually, the Virginia legislature set solid regulations for what could be sold as Smithfield ham, stipulating that the pigs had to be fed on peanuts in the Smithfield area. Although the "Genuine Smithfield Ham" label has been discontinued as of 2024, Virginia ham remains a culinary institution.