Ham — a meat variety that is so commonplace, it's easy to forget the intricacy. Always sourced from a pig's hind leg, everything from prosciutto to speck and holiday ham falls under the umbrella.

Their presence marks the arrival of layue, the 12th month on the Chinese calendar, signaling that the Chinese New Year is close at hand. This is the season of larou, Sichuan's traditional cured pork ...