Folding Ham

Among the many folding materials I have reviewed, some are edible. In this experiment I performed in 2022, I folded a traditional paper boat from a slice of ham.

I picked a type of ham that comes in relatively large slices. Since the slice was more of a rectangle than a square in shape, I picked a model folded from a rectangle. Initial folds went quite well, though I could feel that the “paper” was quite thick. The ham was quite flexible, but it did start to crack a little on the folds. My guess is ham with more fat is more flexible, while leaner types tend to crack when folded, but I would have to run more experiments to confirm this is the case. I was able to finish the model, but limitations are quite clear: only a simple model was achievable, and the thickness makes even the simple boat look a bit weird.

There are other kinds of ham that may be better suited for folding, for example various dry-cured hams such as Serrano ham. These types can be cut into much thinner slices than the type I used, and come in larger pieces, allowing for larger “sheet” sizes. I can imagine that folding slices into interesting shapes could be a way of presenting the cold cut in an attractive way. Especially tessellations, if feasible, should have a lot of potential for such use.