Holiday Ham Round Up

Published on November 30, 2020

Last modified on January 31, 2024

This Holiday Ham post contains affiliate links and we may be compensated if you make a purchase.

Written By Alison Chew    |    Dietitian Verified by Rebecca Housh, MS, RDN

Holiday Ham

The traditional Christmas or Holiday ham has been served at dinner tables around the world for centuries.  The ham preparation, Holiday sides, and dessert vary by family, but everyone loves the star of the table and centerpiece The Ham.

We have rounded up the best Holiday Ham options from the top meat delivery services so that you can choose the type of ham (bone-in or boneless), the size (are you feeding 4, 6, 10+ this year), and other options to fit your needs.

We also have Holiday Meal Kits!  Check out the Gobble Holiday Box, Martha Stewart and Marley Spoon Christmas meal kits, Dinnerly Christmas meal kits, Home Chef Holiday Meal Kit, and the HelloFresh Holiday Meal Kits!

5 Holiday Hams for Your Christmas Feast

1. Snake River Farms American Kurobuta Holiday Hams     |     Starting at $82

Snake River Farms features a beautiful gourmet heritage breed Kurobuta ham, which is the Japanese term for “black hog”, and refers to the Berkshire variety.  This highly marbled pork has a wonderful dark color, a firm texture, and a naturally smokey sweet flavor.

All Snake River Farms animals are treated humanely and are raised on small family farms without hormones using a natural slow feed process.

• American Kurobuta Whole Bone-In Ham is around 9 lbs and serves between 10-14 people. Price: $141
• American Kurobuta Whole Boneless Ham is around 7 lbs and serves between 10-14 people. Price: $129
• American Kurobuta Half Bone-In is around 6 lbs and serves 6-10 people. Price: $119
• American Kurobuta Half Boneless Ham is around 3 lbs and serves between 4-8 people. Price: $82
• Larger hams are also available!

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2. Crowd Cow Smoked Heritage Ham     |     Starting at $56.04

Crowd Cow brings you a smoked bone-in spiral-sliced ham from Pederson’s Natural Farms.  Along with being extremely tasty, this ham is free from preservatives, sugar, nitrates, and artificial ingredients and is minimally processed.

• Smoked Bone-In Heritage Ham has a light smoke finish, is fully cooked, and is 6 lbs.  Price: $56.04
• Smoked Boneless Heritage Ham is perfect for a family of 2 or a small gathering, and is 2.5 lbs.  Price: $27.50

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3. Holy Grail Kurobuta Ham     |    Starting at $69

For a limited time this holiday season, Holy Grail Steak Co. brings you the decadently delicious Kurobuta Holiday Ham.  With impeccable breeding standards comes consistent and exceptional quality pork.

“You can literally see the quality in the rich, red color of the meat, and each cut has lush marbling that results in a delicious flavor that is both tender and juicy.”

• Kurobuta Ham: $69 for 1 x boneless smoked ham ~ 4-6 lbs

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4. D’Artagnan Berkshire Pork Hams     |     Starting at $39.99

D’Artagnan brings you pasture-raised Berkshire hogs free from antibiotics or hormones raised on small farms dedicated to humane and sustainable methods.

The Berkshire ham boasts a tender texture and naturally juicy and flavorful meat.

• Berkshire Pork Bone-In Spiral Ham, Half: 8-10 lbs; Serves: 16-18; Price: $97.99.
• Berkshire Pork Boneless Smoked Ham, Half: Smoked over real applewood; 2.5-3.5 lbs; Serves: 5-7; Price: $39.99.
• Berkshire Pork Boneless Smoked Ham, Whole: Smoked over real applewood; 5-7 lbs; Serves: 10-14; Price: $64.99

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5. Stock Yards Holiday Hams    |     Starting at $99.99

Stock Yards has a lovely spiral-sliced Holiday ham with a honey glaze mix this year.

In addition, they feature lamb, pork, and beef in their Holiday Entertaining section.

• Bone-In Spiral Sliced Ham: 7.5-8.5 lbs; Serves: 16-18; Price: $99.99

Christmas Fun Food Facts

Did you know…

• Candy Canes were met to keep kids quiet.  Apparently, they were invented in 1670, when the choirmaster of the Cologne Cathedral commissioned candies shaped like a shepherd’s crook so they could be handed out to children attending the church’s crèche scene in order to keep them quiet. They were white then, with stripes added later.
• Dutch people leave shoes filled with food for St Nicholas’s donkeys, who leave small gifts in return.
• Animal crackers were first introduced in 1902 around Christmas. The string on the box was originally intended to be used to hang the boxes on Christmas trees.
• The tradition of putting tangerines in stockings comes from 12th-century French nuns who left socks full of fruits to the poor.
• Originally, fruit cake was intended to last all year. They were originally baked at the end of the harvest season and saved to be eaten the following year.
• In Japan, many households eat KFC on Christmas day.
• In medieval Germany, apples, wafers, and cookies were common Christmas tree ornaments.  As this tradition emerged, children began to notice the disappearance of these edible ornaments. The vanishing of decorations was blamed on Santa and it became a tradition to leave a plate of cookies by the fireplace to keep them warm for Santa’s snack.
• Gingerbread houses originated in Germany during the sixteenth century and soon became associated with Christmas. The largest gingerbread house on record was erected at Traditions Golf Club in Byran, Texas, in 2013. It required a building permit and covered 40,000 cubic feet.
• In 1607, the first eggnog made in the United States might have been sipped in Jamestown, according to reports by Captain John Smith. And December is National Eggnog month!  Cheers!

Happy Holidays!

This post has been reviewed and approved by our dietitian Rebecca Housh, MS, RDN, LDN for nutritional accuracy.

Rebecca Housh is a registered dietitian based in Chicago, IL. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Human Physiology from Boston University and a Master of Science in Human Nutrition from the University of Illinois in Chicago. Rebecca is passionate about the idea of food as medicine in both preventative and therapeutic care. Her current professional interests lie in food security, food access, and nutrition for chronic disease.