Consumer group CHOICE has revealed the best-tasting supermarket Christmas ham, just in time for the holidays.
CHOICE experts blind taste tested 10 supermarket-brand Christmas hams from Coles, Woolworths, Aldi and IGA, assessing them on several criteria, including flavour, texture, appearance and smell.
"With so many options at the supermarket, finding the perfect Christmas ham to serve at your festivities can be challenging. Our experts have taste tested various Christmas hams so you can be sure you're serving up a high-quality feast," says CHOICE Editorial Director, Mark Serrels.
"The Seven Mile ham, a brand available at IGA, took first place this year, scoring 79%. Our experts praised the Seven Mile ham for its smoky aroma, moist texture and pleasant flavour. If you're looking for the best Christmas ham to add to your shopping list, look no further," says Serrels.
"Our taste test also revealed that price isn't necessarily an indicator of quality. The winning IGA ham only cost $12.50 per kilo, coming in cheaper than a number of the lowest scorers," says Serrels.
The top four supermarket Christmas hams in our taste test were:
Seven Mile Premium Double Smoked Leg Ham (exclusive to IGA)
CHOICE Expert Rating: 79%
Price per kg: $12.50
Aldi Specially Selected Premium Triple Smoked Half Leg Ham
CHOICE Expert Rating: 76%
Price per kg: $13.49
IGA Naturally Smoked Leg Ham Bone in Fully Cooked
CHOICE Expert Rating: 76%
Price per kg: $8.00
Woolworths Half Leg Ham Bone In
CHOICE Expert Rating: 76%
Price per kg: $8.00
The worst three Christmas hams in our taste test were:
Coles Finest Free-Range Triple Smoked Leg Ham Portion
CHOICE Expert Rating: 58%
Price per kg: $17 (this ham is also available for $15.50 per kg as a half-leg, which wasn't available at the time of testing)
Woolworths Gold Triple Smoked Free Range Half Leg Ham
CHOICE Expert Rating: 66%
Price per kg: $15.50
Coles Christmas Beechwood Smoked Half Leg Ham
CHOICE Expert Rating: 66%
Price per kg: $8.00
Stock images: Getty, unless otherwise stated.
