00:00Even so, ham has a history.
00:02Aside from the long and tedious process of making it,
00:06traditional ham is made from a whole piggy.
00:10In fact, the word ham comes from the Old English word for hum,
00:15which means back of the knee or hind legs.
00:19In making ham, piggy is commonly used.
00:22This part is the fattest.
00:25This ham factory in Pasig is still using the traditional method of making ham.
00:35This is what they call a smoking room.
00:39Smoking room for ham.
00:41This room can accommodate up to 150 to 200 pieces of ham.
00:50This room is filled with smoke.
00:54The temperature is 150 degrees.
00:58They smoke the ham for 4 to 5 hours
01:01to remove the moisture from the ham
01:05so that it won't get infected by bacteria.
01:10The smoked ham will be transferred to the airing rack.
01:13The smoked hams will stay here for 3 days.
01:18We're now at the third stage of processing the ham.
01:22This is the cooking stage.
01:24This is where it's cooked.
01:26This is where it's cooked.
01:29What's inside? Where are these hams cooked?
01:32In water with sugar, laurel, clove, and cinnamon.
01:39What's that? Clove?
01:41Clove.
01:42What's clove?
01:43It's like corn.
01:45Oh, like anise?
01:46Yes.
01:47Oh, like that.
01:49Star anise.
01:50Star anise, and then?
01:51Star anise, clove, and laurel.
01:55Oh, and laurel.
01:57There's no oil?
01:58No, ma'am. It's just water.
01:59The oil comes from the cat, ma'am.
02:01Oh, because there's a lot of fat?
02:03Yes, ma'am.
02:05How long do you cook this?
02:07For 3 to 5 hours.
02:10Okay, so this is what we've cooled down.
02:14The ham is cooked, but you can see that it's still brown.
02:19We know that ham is pinkish and has no skin.
02:23So what are we going to do with this, Jun?
02:26We're going to remove the skin, ma'am.
02:29How?
02:30Like this, ma'am.
02:31Oh, just like that?
02:32Yes, just like that, ma'am.
02:34We're going to remove the skin, ma'am.
02:37It's already cooked, and it's so soft.
02:40Yes, it's cooked.
02:41This is newly cooked, ma'am.
02:43Oh, it smells so good.
02:50So this is where the oil comes from?
02:55Yes, ma'am.
02:56Wow.
02:57We always add white sugar.
02:59That much?
03:00Yes, just a little.
03:01Just a little?
03:02Yes, just a little.
03:03That much?
03:04Yes, just a little, ma'am.
03:05Just a little?
03:06Yes, just like that, ma'am.
03:07Oh, my gosh.
03:08It's so sinful to eat this.
03:10Yes, just like that, ma'am.
03:11Sugar and fat, oh, my God.
03:13It's like a plant, ma'am.
03:15It won't burn.
03:16It won't burn.
03:17Because if there's no sugar, the fat will burn, ma'am.
03:21Oh, this is what makes it delicious.
03:22Yes, ma'am.
03:23Because once it's cooked, it will look like a lechon.
03:26This is what will serve as the coating.
03:30When we eat ham, there's caramelized sugar on top, right?
03:33Yes, there is.
03:34Oh, my God.
03:35It's so delicious.
03:38Then, it will be plated so that the sugar will melt or caramelize.
03:43Oh, my gosh.
03:44Why is it still on fire, sir?
03:46Yes, it's still on fire, ma'am.
03:47Oh, I can already smell the burnt sugar.
03:52White sugar, ma'am.
03:53There.
03:54It's like a lechon, ma'am.
03:55Oh, my gosh.
03:56Look at that.
03:57Ma'am, all of this will be plated.
04:01Oh.
04:02Can I try it, sir?
04:04Yes, ma'am.
04:05You can, ma'am.
04:06There.
04:09There, it's ready.
04:10Okay.
04:11Oh, it's still on fire.
04:12My gosh.
04:13Then, like this, ma'am?
04:14Yes, ma'am.
04:15There.
04:16Just tilt it, ma'am.
04:17So that it will be plated.
04:18It won't get burnt.
04:20Shocks.
04:21It's already burnt, right?
04:22Yes.
04:23Just don't let it burn for too long, ma'am.
04:24Because if it burns for too long, it will get burnt.
04:27Just make it flat.
04:28There.
04:30There.
04:32Is it flat now?
04:33Yes, ma'am.
04:34This one is also flat.
04:35There.
04:36I'll try this one.
04:37Okay.
04:40Okay, okay.
04:41Okay.
04:42Okay, ma'am.
04:43Sir, please continue.
04:44I think I made a mess.
04:46No, it's okay, ma'am.
04:47What else, ma'am?
04:48Just let it be like this, ma'am.
04:50There.
04:51It's so heavy.
04:52Oh, my gosh.
04:53It's really heavy.
04:54And it hurts my eyes.
04:55It's the heart.
04:56It's the heart.
04:57It's because the sugar is what's burning, ma'am.
04:58That's why it hurts my eyes.
05:00It's the heart.
05:01I'll cut it a bit.
05:03Wow.
05:06Wow.
05:08It's so delicious.
05:09This is just the skin.
05:11Even the skin, sir, is delicious.
05:15It's delicious.
05:16The combination of sweet and salty is delicious.
05:21Wow.
05:22It's amazing.
05:25The ham will be wrapped in a plastic wrap,
05:27vacuumed,
05:28and weighed.
05:30All right.
05:31This is 5.3 kilos,
05:357,397 pesos.
05:39Wow.
05:40That's why,
05:41from then until now,
05:44I usually only eat ham
05:48when there's a special occasion
05:50because it's so expensive.
05:52It's expensive,
05:53but it's worth it
05:55because it's a first-class ingredient
05:57and you have to go through a long process
06:01before you can taste this leg of ham.
06:10It's said that the Spaniards
06:12were the first to add ham to Athens.
06:14They used to make ham out of meat
06:16to preserve it.
06:18The ham is not from Athens.
06:20It's from Europe,
06:23particularly in Spain.
06:26It became a traditional food
06:29during the wintertime.
06:32Not necessarily during Christmas,
06:34but when it's cold.
06:36Actually, ham is a food
06:38for travelers
06:40who are traveling.
06:42There are no airplanes yet.
06:44They're looking for ships.
06:46They're crossing the Pacific and the Atlantic.
06:48Ham is a long-lasting food
06:53so the Spaniards brought it
06:55to the Philippines.
06:58But when it comes to the Philippines,
07:00ham is considered a special dish.
07:02It's a food that's only eaten
07:04on special occasions,
07:06particularly during Christmas.
07:08It's a tradition that became part
07:10of the Filipino culture.
07:12Actually, the first to start this
07:14were the priles,
07:16members of the high society,
07:18the wealthy.
07:21So during their celebration,
07:23during Noche Buena,
07:25this is the first thing you'll see.
07:27Because back then,
07:29ham was a status symbol
07:31because it was imported.
07:33It came from Madrid,
07:35particularly from Cadiz,
07:37in Spain.
07:39They don't fry it directly.
07:41They let you taste it.
07:43Actually, they don't cook it.
07:46It's like a snack.
07:48It's just a snack.
07:50It's a meal,
07:52a drink.
07:54Because the demand for ham
07:56increased,
07:58especially during Christmas,
08:00it became modern.
08:02In the town of Marilao,
08:04we'll visit a modern ham factory.
08:06Because they're very, very
08:08concerned with cleanliness
08:10and sanitation,
08:12we need to wear
08:14this type of clothing.
08:20Right.
08:22I'll just use my pen as a doctor.
08:34Okay.
08:36What is this?
08:38This is the towing area, ma'am.
08:41It takes 16 to 24 hours
08:43because it's frozen.
08:45It's rock frozen.
08:47We blow it and it's in a controlled temp.
08:49Our room is in a controlled temp
08:51at a positive age.
08:53The meat is pre-cut
08:55to remove excess fat and blood clots.
08:57Then, it's passed through a metal detector
08:59to make sure there's no metal
09:01in the meat.
09:03We mix the meat
09:05in a vacuum tumbler
09:07to mix the ingredients.
09:09This is where the meat is softened
09:11for almost 3 hours.
09:13The meat goes straight to the
09:15stuffing machine
09:17where the ham will form a ball.
09:19Once it's out of the smoking machine,
09:21it will be frozen
09:23so it won't overcook.
09:25This is the smokehouse.
09:27This is where we cook the ham
09:29for 3 hours.
09:31Once it's steamed,
09:33it will be put in ice.
09:35Ice chilling.
09:37What you want to achieve here is
09:39for it to be frozen.
09:41We'll just cool down the ham
09:43so it won't overcook.
09:45After 1 hour,
09:47the ham is ready for glazing.
09:49There are 7 types of ham
09:51to choose from depending on your budget.
09:53This is the most ham-like ham
09:55and the most delicious
09:57of all the ham here.
09:59The meat is very lean
10:01but it has a layer of fat
10:03on the outside
10:05so the sweetness is just right.
10:07You can really taste the meat.
10:09You can really taste that
10:11you're eating meat,
10:13you're eating pork.
10:15They have different categories of ham
10:17with different prices
10:19so that all types of Filipino families,
10:21whether rich or poor,
10:23have a chance to taste
10:25the ham
10:27or have ham on their plate.
10:35Hey!
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