Black Forest ham or Schwarzwälder Schinken in German, is a variety of dry-cured smoked ham, produced in the Black Forest region of Germany. Ham is the thigh and rump from the haunch of a pig or boar.
Black Forest ham is the best-selling smoked ham in Europe.[1] In 1959, Hans Adler from Bonndorf pioneered manufacturing and selling Original Black Forest ham by retail and mail order.[2] Since 1997, the term "Black Forest ham" is a Protected Designation of Origin in the European Union, which means that any product sold in the EU as "Black Forest ham" must come from the Black Forest region in Germany. However, this appellation is not recognized in non-EU countries, particularly in United States and Canada, where various commercially produced hams of varying degrees of quality are marketed and sold as "Black Forest ham".