Virginia Ham: A History in Salt & Smoke

Join us for author John DeMers’ book launch of Virginia Ham: A History in Salt and Smoke. His book is the definitive story of one of America’s greatest food delicacies.

While the English colony of Virginia sits at the heart of the now-commonwealth’s ham narrative, DeMers traces its roots back to ancient China, then via ham-loving Italy, Spain and England to the unexpectedly profound contributions of dispossessed Native Americans and enslaved African Americans. As DeMers has asserted so often in his fifty-plus years of reporting and writing, foods empowers us tell the world our story.

 A New Orleans native, DeMers is the author of 60 published books and has worked for United Press International and three daily newspapers, including the Houston Chronicle as food editor. He has reported from 138 foreign countries in his long career. On the broadcast side, he hosted a food and wine radio talk show in several cities for 26 years and took his message to public television for eight years.

His website and blog can be found at www.johndemersmedia.com.