IGA, Coles, Woolworths or Aldi: Australia’s ‘best-tasting’ supermarket Christmas ham revealed
With cost-of-living pressures ensuring all Australians are checking those supermarket price tags twice, value for money has never been so important as we enter the 2024 festive period.
Consumer group Choice says it has taken the leg work out of the search for the best-tasting supermarket ham for Australian lunch table feasts this Christmas, and the winner might surprise.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Top tips to shop smarter this Christmas.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.IGA’s Seven Mile Premium Double Smoked Leg Ham came out on top thanks to its “smoky aroma, moist texture and pleasant flavour”.
The ham, which is exclusive to IGA, scored a rating of 79 per cent.
“If you’re looking for the best Christmas ham to add to your shopping list, look no further,” Choice editorial director Mark Serrels said.
“Our taste test also revealed that price isn’t necessarily an indicator of quality.
“The winning IGA ham only cost $12 per kilo, coming in cheaper than a number of the lowest scorers.”
Choice blind-tasted 10 supermarket-branded Christmas hams from Woolworths, Coles, Aldi and IGA, judging them against a number of criteria including flavour, appearance and texture.
IGA came out on top, keeping the crown it also won in 2023.
Other standouts — Aldi’s Specially Selected Premium Triple Smoked Half Leg Ham ($13.49/kg), IGA’s Naturally Smoked Leg Ham Bone ($8/kg) and Woolworths’ Half Leg Ham Bone ($8/kg) — scored 76 per cent.
At the other end of the scale, Coles’ Finest Free-Range Triple Smoked Leg Ham Portion was rated a meagre 58 per cent.
Choice said: “We almost felt bad asking our experts to eat this ham: its flavour was described by every single judge as either ‘unpleasant’, ‘unusual’ or ‘lacking’.”
On a positive note, the consumer group noted the ham was made using free-range pork and won a silver medal at the Royal Tasmanian Fine Food Awards and Sydney Royal Fine Food Show in 2022.
Despite missing the mark when it came to Christmas ham, Coles did tell 7NEWS it had close to 100 other convenient products up for grabs this holiday season, most of which you can put straight into the oven or microwave from the packet.
Originally published on 7NEWS
