The Fruit Spread You Need To Pair With Salty Ham Sandwiches

From early childhood to adolescence to adulthood, ham sandwiches remain a quintessential lunch pick through the years. While sandwiches in our younger years likely consisted of ham and American cheese slices pressed between two pieces of white bread, getting older calls for a more refined taste. Items like caramelized onions and smoky gouda may adorn the upgraded ham sandwiches. For a truly delicious combination, add a dollop of fig spread.

Pairing a fruity spread with ham isn't a novel idea — as kids, it was common to dip the corner of a ham biscuit into those tiny grape jelly containers. Smearing a bit of fig spread onto a sandwich is an entirely different experience, though. Unlike the artificially saccharine grape jelly of our youth, fig jam is rich and honeyed. The deep, concentrated flavor makes it the perfect spread to use on sandwiches, particularly the kinds featuring ham.

The meat is smoky and deeply savory, with fig's sweetness being the perfect component to temper the saltiness. While fig's sugary ways balance out the brininess of ham, its headiness matches the meat's own, ensuring that the rich flavor isn't diminished. The textures of the two ingredients are also complementary. While both are smooth and fleshy, condiments like Divina's Fig Spread Jam are dotted with the fruit's seeds, giving the sandwich a subtle crunch. The thick spread brings a velvety taste to the meat while adding a fruity hint to other sandwich ingredients like umami-rich cheese and earthy vegetables.

Many types of ham pair well with fig spread, but if you want to balance out its sweetness, choose a salty kind. Prosciutto is often eaten with the jammy spread on charcuterie boards, but they're a great duo on a sandwich. The salty, mildly sweet meat has a fattiness that's luscious with fig jam. The Italian ham is typically spiced with juniper, rosemary, and garlic, adding to the layered taste of fig spread. Since the figs and ham are pretty rich, opt for a mild, creamy cheese — like brie — to finish off the sandwich.

Prosciutto is quite savory, so if you want to lean more into the honeyed aspect of fig jam, go with Bayonne ham. The sweet, slightly salty cut comes from the southern region of France, making it perfect for the French-inspired savory and sweet Monte Cristo sandwich. Laced with hints of hazelnut, the soft ham brings an earthy touch to the fig spread. Pillowy challah bread complements the figs and ham, while smoky, nutty provolone balances out the sweeter aspects of the sandwich.

Meats from Italy and France are an idyllic pairing for the Mediterranean fruit but don't knock other varieties. Country ham, a Southern U.S. staple, has a supremely salty taste mellowed by sweet fig spread. The smoky meat pairs well with the fruit's headiness, too. Pair it with tangy goat cheese to keep things from getting too intense.