Demystifying Subway’s Ham: The Origins of Their Delicious Deli Meat

Subway is renowned for its extensive menu of customizable submarine sandwiches. With a wide selection of meats, cheeses, vegetables, and condiments to choose from, fans can craft their perfect sub to their own unique tastes. But there’s one signature ingredient that often forms the base of many classic Subway sandwiches – the deli ham.

Subway uses ham in popular subs like the Black Forest Ham, the Sweet Onion Chicken Teriyaki, and the Italian BM.T. But have you ever wondered exactly what type of ham Subway uses? Or where their sliced deli meat originates from? Let’s explore the mystery behind Subway’s ham ingredients

An Overview of Subway’s Ham Selection

Subway offers a few different ham varieties that can be added to sandwiches These include

• Black Forest Ham – Subway’s original and most popular ham offering. It features a distinctive smoky, slightly sweet flavor.

• Honey Maple Ham – A brown sugar and honey-glazed ham with a hint of maple. It has a sweeter flavor profile.

• Rotisserie-Style Chicken Ham – Shredded chicken blended with ham to create this hybrid deli meat.

• Smokehouse Ham – Only available regionally or seasonally, it has an extra smokey and salty taste.

While flavors vary slightly, all of Subway’s hams share a similar pink hue and tender, thinly sliced texture when used in sandwiches. But where exactly does the deli meat originate from?

The Sources of Subway’s Ham

Subway obtains its ham products from major commercial deli meat suppliers. This includes brands like Land O’Frost, Columbus, and Bibigo. According to Subway’s website, their ham is produced from pork leg meat that is salt-cured, smoked, and steam-cooked. This aligns with traditional ham processing methods.

Based on publicly available information, key facts about Subway’s ham suppliers include:

• Land O’Frost – One of Subway’s main ham suppliers, they are a leading American deli meat brand. Their hams are produced from boneless pork leg and made in Illinois.

• Columbus – An Italian meat company that produces some of Subway’s rotisserie-style chicken ham. Their manufacturing facilities are located in Illinois as well.

• Bibigo – A South Korean company that makes Subway’s teriyaki chicken and steak products. Their ham ingredients originate from China.

So while sourced from different major suppliers, Subway’s ham generally comes from pork raised in the U.S. and/or China. The deli meat is then processed domestically before being delivered to Subway outlets.

Why Subway Uses Higher-Quality Ham

In the world of deli meats, not all ham is created equal. Subway prides itself on using higher-end ham compared to other fast food chains. According to Subway’s head of research and development, their ham is “a higher quality, premium deli meat with no extenders.”

Some reasons why Subway selects better ham ingredients include:

• Flavor – Higher-quality ham tends to offer a richer, smokier taste that Subway’s customers crave. Cheap ham can have a blander or artificial flavor.

• Texture – Subway’s sliced ham has a soft, tender texture. Lower grade ham can be tough and rubbery.

• Appearance – The ham has a vibrant pink color and sheen. Lesser quality ham often looks dull or grey.

• Nutrition – Premium ham tends to be lower in fat, sodium, and preservatives compared to cheap processed ham.

• Brand reputation – Using quality ingredients aligns with Subway’s image as a healthier fast food option.

While Subway’s ham costs more than generic grocery store deli meat, the higher price pays off when it comes to satisfying customers.

How Subway’s Ham is Sourced and Prepared

To maintain consistency across thousands of stores, Subway has a thorough supply chain in place for its ham. Here is a look at how the process works:

• Sourcing – Subway places regular orders for sliced ham from approved major suppliers like Land O’Frost and Columbus.

• Processing – Suppliers process, cure, smoke, and cook raw pork leg to transform it into deli-style ham.

• Slicing – The ham is then sliced paper-thin to prepare it for sandwiches.

• Packing – Sliced ham is packaged in sealed plastic bags then boxed to be shipped to distribution centers.

• Distribution – Boxes of packaged ham are distributed from warehouses to individual Subway restaurant locations.

• On-site prep – Employees open packaged ham and portion it into food service pans kept in refrigerated storage.

• Sandwich assembly – Ham is layered onto bread for subs during the sandwich prep process.

Through this streamlined system, Subway can quickly get freshly sliced ham from suppliers to over 20,000 stores worldwide.

Grading Criteria: How Subway Judges Ham Quality

Subway holds its ham ingredients to high standards when it comes to quality. According to Subway guidelines, deli ham is evaluated on:

• Color – The ham should have a vibrant pink hue without brown, grey, or green areas. Discoloration indicates oxidation issues.

• Marbling – A mix of meat and fat results in desirable marbling. Ham with large chunks of fat scores lower.

• Texture – The ham should be tender and sliceable. Tough, rubbery, or dry ham is considered poor quality.

• Moisture – Higher moisture content means the ham slices and chews nicely. Dry or brittle ham suggests overcooking.

• Smoke flavor – A rich, smoky taste is ideal. Ham with a weak, artificial smoke flavor is undesirable.

• Off flavors – The ham’s taste should not be sour, bitter, rancid, or metallic. These are signs of spoilage.

Using these criteria helps Subway maintain high standards for its signature ham, regardless of supplier.

Special Considerations for Subway’s Glazed Hams

In addition to traditional sliced ham, Subway also offers two glazed ham varieties – Honey Maple Ham and Brown Sugar Ham (seasonal). These involve additional preparation steps.

After being cured, smoked, and cooked, the ham is infused with special glazes. The glazing process includes:

• Glaze mixing – Suppliers prepare proprietary sweet glaze blends including ingredients like brown sugar, honey, and maple syrup.

• Glazing application – The ham is either submerged in or repeatedly brushed with glaze to saturate the meat.

• Drying – Wet glazed hams are then dried to remove excess surface moisture. This helps the glaze adhere.

• Final cooking – Glazed hams undergo a final cooking step to caramelize the glaze and enhance flavors.

The glazed hams are then chilled, sliced, and packaged to be shipped out to Subway restaurants. The added glazing and cooking provides enhanced sweetness and texture.

Subway’s Ham Has a Savory History

Ham has been a core part of Subway’s menu since its founding back in 1965. According to Subway historians, original restaurant founder Fred DeLuca decided to build the chain’s menu around ham because he enjoyed its flavor.

While Subway’s ingredients and recipes have evolved over the decades, ham has remained a staple. Even as new proteins like oven-roasted chicken and rotisserie turkey joined the lineup, ham continued to be Subway’s most popular sandwich meat.

In the 1990s, SUBWAY began formally branding its signature Black Forest Ham. This smoky sliced ham became synonymous with the Subway sandwich experience. Later ham varieties like Honey Maple Ham were added to give customers more choices.

Today, ham remains integral to Subway’s brand identity. Surveys show it is still the #1 meat topping at Subway locations around the world. While tastes change, generations of Subway fans continue to enjoy the distinctive flavors of Black Forest Ham, Honey Maple Ham, and other deli ham varieties in their freshly made sandwiches.

So next time you walk into Subway and order your favorite ham sandwich, you can better appreciate the care and effort that goes into crafting that savory sliced meat. From sourcing to seasoning, it takes quality ingredients and culinary creativity to make Subway’s ham so crave-worthy after all these years.