Gammon substitutes

What to use when you can't find Gammon at your butcher

Gammon is the traditional name in United Kingdom. Outside that tradition, butchers carry comparable pork cuts under different names — sometimes the same anatomical piece, sometimes a close cousin. The alternatives below are grouped by country so you can match what your local butcher actually carries.

What to ask for

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United Kingdom

Leg of porkclose substitute

Same anatomy — gammon is the cured form of the fresh leg of pork. Curing alone (without long air-drying) is what distinguishes gammon from European raw-cured hams; cooking is what distinguishes gammon from cooked ham.

France

Jambon de Bayonneclose substitute

Both cured European pork legs, but Bayonne is dry-cured and air-aged for raw consumption, while gammon is brined for cooked consumption.

Germany

Schwarzwälder Schinkenclose substitute

Both cured European pork legs, but Black Forest ham is cold-smoked over fir and eaten raw, while gammon is wet-cured (sometimes lightly smoked) and eaten cooked.

Westfälischer Schinkenclose substitute

Both cured pork legs; Westfälischer is cold-smoked over juniper/beech, gammon is wet-cured for cooked consumption.

Italy

Prosciutto crudoclose substitute

Both cured pork legs, but gammon is brined (or dry-cured short-term) and eaten cooked, while prosciutto is dry-cured and air-aged 12–36 months and eaten raw. Different traditions, different finished products.

Portugal

Presunto de Barrancosclose substitute

Both cured pork legs; Presunto de Barrancos is the Portuguese-Iberian dry-cured tradition, gammon the British brine-cured tradition.

Spain

Jamón ibérico de bellotaclose substitute

Both cured pork legs (same anatomical primal); ibérico is dry-cured for raw consumption, gammon is brine-cured for cooked consumption.

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