Westphalia, the Land of Ham | Production with a long tradition

Westphalia is a region that is home to numerous culinary specialities. The Westphalian Five - Schinken (ham), Mettwurst (soft smoked sausage), Pumpernickel (a dark rye bread), Stuten (a sweet white bread) and Korn (corn schnapps) - stand for traditional products that still exist today. Whether by bike, horse, car or Shank's pony, there are countless opportunities for visitors to experience the diversity of the region during a trip through Westphalia, the Land of Ham, and enjoy its culinary pleasures. The Schutzgemeinschaft Westfälische Schinken- und Wurstspezialitäten e. V. warmly invites you to do this.


Our seal for regional hand-made produce The origins of this great flavour and experience Production with a long tradition Production Time and a love of delicacy Selected products handled with care Objectives of our association	Welcome to Westphalia, the Land of Ham and Germany's traditional gourmet region. Production with a long tradition There is evidence that as far back as the 12th century Westphalian ham on the bone was offered for sale as a speciality in Rhenish Cologne, one of the most important markets in the Middle Ages. Another surprising piece of evidence is found in the church of "St. Maria zur Wiese" (St. Mary of the Meadow) in Soest: Over the north porch a glass window from around the year 1500 AD depicts the "Westphalian Last Supper". Goethe himself remarked: "Instead of the Easter lamb there is a ham on the table..."; but black bread, beer and corn schnapps can also be made out. So it is fair to claim that the so-called "Westphalian breakfast" can look back on a long tradition. Salting and smoking has been handed down as the process for producing ham for more than a thousand years. The art of preparing a meat product which is both appetising and suitable for storage has been passed on from generation to generation since then.	Westphalia, Land of Ham