Many believe that ham bread has been eaten all of life in Venezuela and it is not like that. Moreover, although it hurts some, Bolivar did not eat ham bread. I could not do it because in its time it simply did not exist. It is a creation that began in the twentieth century that little by little became a Christmas custom until becoming essential every December. In case you do not know, ham bread is exclusive to our country, was invented here, sold only here and carries the stamp of our identity.
The bread with ham, so they called it at the beginning, was invented in 1905 in the Bakery "Ramella", which was in the corner of Gradillas and originally only had ham. It was made with soda bread dough that was filled with the remains of the ham that was ironed after leaving it soaking in a preparation that included wines, cloves, pineapples, cinnamon, paper, etc. Then, the bakeries of the competition, which were many, imitated this creation and they were adding raisins and olives "It was Ramella who started with the ham bread and then followed the other bakeries - said by Don Luis Morales in 1982, when it was still Secretary of the Association of Bakery Industries, which he had founded in 1955.
This bread was made with ham "Ferry", which was lined in a layer that we called "chapapote". After the 1940s, ham bread began to be made with ham in the market. But it was not the same, neither the dough nor the filling. Now everything is more industrial, it has less flavor, before it was made with real art ". Another famous bakery was the "Solís" by F. Banchs & CA, and some believe that it was there where it was first developed and who did it was the old Francisco Banchs, of Catalan origin, arrived in Venezuela in 1890. But it is not A) Yes. "My grandfather arrived from Spain in 1890 - confessed his grandson, Dr. Francisco Banchs - and was a baker, but he did not invent ham bread.
Moreover, in Spain it was not known at that time. In the bakery of "Solis" began to be manufactured at the beginning of the century, but it was not they who invented it, and another baker had done it before, it must have been "Ramella". It was made with ham "Ferrys" and chopped into squares of one centimeter. Breads were made to order. Every December 24, between 4 and 7 at night, the bakery was filled with people looking for ham bread. There was a year that a tremendous stick of water fell and many loaves were cold. " Normally the great recipes were born in the home kitchens and from there they have gone to the public kitchen, to the restaurants.
With the ham bread the opposite occurs. From its origins it was an industrial product that became a Christmas tradition. The majority of the population was fed little and only in December they had the pleasure of eating something tasty or preparing the laborious hallacas. Ham bread has recently suffered some alterations that go beyond the original recipe. Certain bakeries instead of pork ham use turkey, which is very respectable in case of those who for religious reasons or medical prescriptions, can not eat pork. Others prepare versions with puff pastry, rich in butter and more brittle. Some also make it vegetarian. There are also cases of breads stuffed with smoked salmon, but that's something else.
To give it shine, it is painted with egg. It is not until the eighties, with the publication of the first recipes in magazines and newspapers, that ham bread begins to be made at home. In truth, we are not used to preparing bread at home, except for some Andean families. It is easier to buy it at the bakery on the corner. But little by little this has been changing and every day more are those who dare to flourish their hands, enter fully into the kitchen and bake it at home just on the day of the party, to eat it very warm, which tastes like glory.
