IGA has again fended off its bigger supermarket rivals to take out the coveted title of Australia’s best Christmas ham.
Consumer group Choice named the smaller retailer’s Seven Mile Premium Double Smoked Leg Ham as its best pick for the festive season, after taste-testing 10 hams.
“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,” Choice editorial director Mark Serrels said on Tuesday.
“Our taste test also revealed that price isn’t necessarily an indicator of quality. The winning IGA ham only cost $12 per kilo, coming in cheaper than a number of the lowest scorers.”
The same ham also took out Choice’s 2023 title, besting the options offered by rivals Coles, Woolworths and Aldi.
Hams were rated on several criteria, including flavour, texture, appearance and smell. Health Star Ratings were also considered, to take into account nutrition.
Choice’s experts carried out a blind taste test, finding quality varied dramatically – and price was no real indication.
The Seven Mile ham was a clear winner, with a score of 79 per cent – topping its 2023 score by three percentage points.
“It it isn’t the cheapest ham on our list, but it impressed our experts with its moist texture and pleasantly balanced flavour,” Choice said.
Rounding out the pick of the hams, all with 76 per cent were Aldi’s Specially Selected Premium Triple Smoked Half Leg Ham ($13.49/kilogram), another IGA entrant in its Naturally Smoked Leg Ham Bone in Fully Cooked ($8/kilogram) and Woolworths Half Leg Ham Bone In (also $8/kilogram).
“This ham from Woolworths costs the same per kilo as the IGA Naturally Smoked ham and scores the same in terms of taste,” Choice said.
“The difference between the two is that the Woolworths ham has a lower Health Star Rating: Two stars compared to three stars for the IGA.”
Over in the shame aisle, two of the three worst hams – as chosen by Choice – came from Coles.
Taking out the official last place was the supermarket’s Finest Free-Range Triple Smoked Leg Ham Portion, with a rating of just 58 per cent. It costs $17 a kilogram.
The judges didn’t hold back on their criticisms.
“We almost felt bad asking our experts to eat this ham: Its flavour was described by every single judge as either ‘unpleasant’, ‘unusual’ or ‘lacking’,” Choice said.
“And the descriptors didn’t get any more complimentary from there: ‘Sour aftertaste’, ‘strange aroma’, ‘lacks flavour’ and ‘unusual aroma and flavour that is not appealing and lingers in aftertaste’ were their pronouncements.
“On the upside, it’s made using free-range pork and is certified as a carbon-neutral product.”
Choice noted the Coles ham won a silver medal at the Royal Tasmanian Fine Food Awards and Sydney Royal Fine Food Show in 2022 – “which is surprising considering what our judges thought of it”.
Coles’ Christmas Beechwood Smoked Half Leg Ham ($8/kilogram) scored 66 per cent, while a Woolies’ offering – the Gold Triple Smoked Free Range Half Leg Ham ($15.50/kilogram) also had the same score.
More details on choosing and storing a Christmas ham can be found here.