Pork Checkoff-funded research shows ham is the popular choice for Easter.
According to Kiersten Hafer of the National Pork Board, traditionally most consumers focus on spiral cut, bone-in and boneless hams when considering special occasion hams.
?Last year we saw a lot of ham consumption among households of all sizes and types ham actually made it into younger generations, and onto their tables. We think that we will have a very similar Easter this year, where we’ll have some strong ham consumption and it’s really going to be centered around smaller sized items, so we saw a lot of smaller spiral hams half hams, quarter hams, even ham steaks making it onto Easter celebrations.?
Hafer says the Pork Checkoff concluded that ham is not only popular during Easter, but on other holiday celebrations as well.
?We had conducted some research and understood that the usage motivators around the Easter occasion for ham really come down to three things. Number one is, they find ham to be crowd pleasing, meaning family loves it, it’s something they feel good about serving. The second is, they love the flavor of ham, and the third is ham is their go to. So, as we think about the Easter occasion and we think about those holiday celebrations, they feel good about serving it, it really checks the box for a great eating experience and everyone’s happy.?
Hafer notes the National Pork Board is using the Real Pork initiative to tell the story of ham.
?We’re able to tell our story through Real Pork, but more importantly, we’ve identified that some of the key drivers to consumers engaging with pork is the taste of pork and the feeling that it’s good for them and good for their family. And as it relates to processed pork, we’ve seen perceptions change over the last several months, and we’ve seen them say that it’s craveable and that they really enjoy eating it. So, I think that’s a real positive, as we think about the connections and bringing families together for the Easter holiday.?
More information on how to prepare your Easter ham can be found on www.pork.org.
