Like a recent post I did about Philadelphia's tomato pie (see my August 1, 2020 post), this week is about a regional food--pork roll, sometimes called Taylor Ham. According to the internet this product is actually sold throughout much of the Mid Atlantic States--parts of Pennsylvania, New York and Maryland, as well as Delaware, but it's most associated with my home state of New Jersey. Which makes sense, as you'll see.
Unlike a lot of the edibles and drinkables I've discussed in this feature, the history of pork roll/Taylor Ham is well documented. There are rumors of a similar precursor product being around Trenton, NJ during the Revolutionary War battle fought there (late December, 1776), but it's formally credited to John Taylor, in 1856, in the small town of Hamilton Square, which is just to the north of Trenton. Taylor's processed pork concoction was originally called Taylor's Prepared Ham, but he was forced by government regulation to change its name in 1906. Which he did, to pork roll. By then, there were other manufacturers of this food type, so Taylor couldn't trademark "pork roll." One of his earliest competitors was the patriotically named George Washington Case, who started making his version in Belle Mead, NJ, in 1870, and whose company is still active now. The whole situation has turned into a culinary cold war throughout New Jersey. People in the northern part of the state usually refer to this food as "Taylor Ham," while those in the southern portions usually go with "pork roll." Sometimes even non-Taylor made product is called "Taylor Ham," kind of like how "Xerox," "Kleenex," and (in parts of the South) "Coke" have become synonymous with a certain thing, regardless of what company actually manufactured it.
But, you may be asking, what is pork roll/Taylor Ham? It's a processed pork creation, obviously. It's usually got salt, sugar, and various spices in it, and is usually smoked, too. It's often sold in tube-like containers, so pieces can be sliced off easily, and the remaining part rolled up and put back in the fridge. After that it's commonly fried. From there it's often put on a roll with egg and cheese, as a sandwich. Condiments put on top can vary, but probably the most typical are ketchup, mustard, and barbecue sauce.
I, on the other hand, have always had it as a breakfast meat, like bacon or sausage. Fried up, and put on a plate, sometimes accompanied by eggs, and usually topped with mustard. It's not spectacular like scrapple (see my September 17, 2012 post), but it's good. A little zestier than bacon, in my view. Chewy and savory. If you like pork products in general you'll probably enjoy it. In my household it was also a holiday tradition, eaten at breakfast on Thanksgiving, or right after we opened the Christmas gifts. But I can see how it would be good in a sandwich. After the pandemic has cooled off enough, I'll try to get a hold of a pork roll sandwich at a restaurant or deli, and then update this post. I've had the Taylor version the most (maybe exclusively?). But I suspect this food is probably like pizza--hard to mess up, with even "bad" kinds still being pretty solid.
Finally, in recent years Trenton has embraced their food invention a bit more. They started a pork roll festival in 2014, and a pork roll sandwich eating contest in 2015. Not surprisingly, champion eater Joey Chestnut won the first competition, consuming 32 sandwiches in 10 minutes. And in his 2016 commencement speech to Rutgers University, President Obama joked about the "bitter" name controversy, saying he would settle the pork roll vs. Taylor Ham debate once and for all, before ultimately backing off and admitting it was too difficult. So, if you're in that part of the world, and like pork products, give it a try. And the way things often go, if someone hasn't already done it, I'm confident that vegan chefs will soon create a plant-based alternative to it. The parody name "Taylor Sham" is just waiting to be used. (Also, if you go to the www.jerseyporkroll.com website, you can get it shipped anywhere in the U.S., including Alaska and Hawaii.)
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