The 6 best hams to order online for your holiday celebrations

Much like using different grape varieties will lead to two very different red wines, different breeds of pig result in different ham experiences. Industrial meat production generally uses pig breeds that get big quickly and inexpensively. Heritage breeds, on the other hand, typically take longer to mature but offer a more unique flavor.

This humanely-raised ham from Snake River Farms, one of our favorite meat delivery services, is 100% Kurobuta, a Berkshire breed. This breed is known for impressive marbling, a more saturated color of meat, and rich flavor. There are 6.5-pound and 8.5-pound options, both bone-in and smoked over hardwood for even more flavor. If you're looking for one of the best hams for a special occasion, consider this Kurobuta.

Read our full Snake River Farms review for more information. 

Longtime food lovers may recognize D'Artagnan, which has been sourcing humane, sustainable meat for more than 35 years for ethical reasons and because it believes it's more flavorful. Its Berkshire Pork Boneless Smoked Ham is a testament to that belief. You can order it fresh or frozen and apply a glaze of your choice about 30 minutes before it's done re-heating.

Another heirloom breed meat, this ham is made from Kurobuta (Berkshire) pork that was raised sustainably on pasture and smoked over applewood. Seasoned with raw cane sugar and sea salt, it's free of nitrates, nitrites, phosphates, and artificial fillers. This is our boneless pick because it offers the convenience of boneless with exceptional texture. It is one of the best hams to buy solely based on texture.

The only issue with some of our other picks is that they're best suited for a crowd (or someone with plenty of room for leftovers). If you're looking for a ham for a smaller group, consider the Omaha Steaks Duroc Boneless Country Ham.

Made from Duroc pork, a breed known for its juicy, super savory flavor, this ham is beautifully marbled and slow-smoked for up to eight hours over hickory. This one doesn't come spiral-spiced, which may make it a little trickier to portion (you'll have to slice it yourself), but it will make storage easier if you do have leftovers.  

Read our full Omaha Steaks review for more details and gift ideas for the chefs in your life. 

There's something so comforting about a honey-glazed ham. For us, it's less about having a super sweet ham and more about using sweetness as a foil for the super savory, hammy flavors. That's why Cajun Ed's Cajun Honey Glazed Ham is so great. A bit of Cajun spice in each bite brings out the honey and the savory, meaty flavors in a way that's the best of all worlds.

The ham is spiral cut and arrives frozen and packed with dry ice. It takes 40 minutes to reach serving temperature, which you can spot by the appetizing, burnished glaze.

Zingerman sources this exclusive offering from the beloved Smoking Goose in Indianapolis. The ham is first procured from nearby Gunthorp Farms, which raises its heritage Duroc-breed pork on pasture. It's cured with pepper, coriander, mustard seed, honey, bay leaf, and mead from Arvins Acres meadery in nearby Delphi, Indiana. Then, it's smoked over peach wood, imparting a sweeter smoke flavor.

The thing with smoked ham is that it can quickly become all about the smoke. Sometimes the smoke can be a way to distract from the meat's lack of inherent flavor. This is our pick for the best smoked ham because, while the smoke certainly adds flavor, it's in concert with the cured flavor of exceptional heritage breed pork.

If you love the idea of sustainable meat from smaller farms but don't have a farmers market that is easily accessible, consider Crowd Cow. It offers meat subscriptions on your schedule, with customizable boxes. If you choose to become a member, you get 5% off, free shipping on boxes over $99, and exclusive access to new releases. If ham for dinner is a hallowed tradition in your home, why not set up a monthly ham delivery?

Crowd Cow sources its ham from Texas-based Pederson Natural Farms, which has been humanely and sustainably raising natural meats since 1992. Its Smoked Bone-In Ham is spiral-sliced, uncured, and has no sugar added. There are no added nitrates or nitrites and no MSG. It's paleo-friendly, yes, but it's also delicious and a great sustainable option.

This is one of the best hams to buy in terms of convenience and reliability.

Ham is a deeply personal food. Everyone has their favorites, likely based on what was served in their home growing up. That said, there are a few objective categories to look at when assessing ham online. 

Sourcing: Ideally, the best hams should be sourced from responsible farmers who ensured the animals led happy, pig-like lives, which entailed plenty of roaming around on a pasture. Not only does this make eating meat a little easier on our consciences, but it also makes for tastier meat. This type of meat costs more but is infinitely tastier and better for the planet. 

Style: Cooked ham should be tender and flavorful. If a ham says it's smoked, it should be smoked over wood rather than adding smoke flavoring. Ideally, it should be cold-smoked for maximum tenderness. Honey-glazed ham should actually taste like honey.

Reviews: Ham is the food of the people. There aren't ham sommeliers peeking over your shoulder, telling you how to enjoy it; you know exactly what good ham tastes like, and you probably know within a few seconds whether you're eating great ham. There will be a consensus on whether ham is good or not. Thus, reviews were considered to ensure that our picks were well-loved.  

How many pounds of ham do you need per person?

If you buy a bone-in ham, assume about half a pound per person. For boneless hams, a third of a pound should be plenty.

What is a spiral-cut ham?

A spiral-cut ham is a bone-in ham that has been professionally cut with a spiral-slicing machine. These machines carve the outside of the ham into even slices and provide a stunning presentation on your dinner table. While spiral-cut hams are easier to prepare and serve, they are more prone to drying out when cooked. A whole ham is typically juicier since it is cut after being cooked.

What's the difference between city ham and country ham?

City hams are wet-cured, while country hams are dry-cured. Wet curing involves injecting or soaking the ham in a brine. Dry-cured hams, by contrast, are rubbed or packed in salt and left to age at room temperature. 

Due to the difference in curing, city hams are nearly always sold pre-cooked (and the majority of our picks in this guide are city hams). Country hams can be sold uncooked or cooked since the dry curing process makes them safe to eat. In most of the US, city hams are far easier to come by than country hams.

Should I buy an unglazed or glazed ham?

The majority of our top picks are unglazed hams. The beauty of unglazed ham is versatility: you can let the ham's flavor shine on its own or add a homemade glaze for a personalized feel. If you have both savory and sweet ham lovers at your table, you can even glaze part of the ham and leave the other part unglazed.

On the other hand, if you know you want a sweet ham and don't want to make your own glaze, buying a glazed ham will cut down on the work. Avoid adding a homemade glaze to a pre-glazed ham.