SUMMARYCured and uncured hams, raw, cooked or cooked‐smoked, were analyzed for free amino acids. A number of amino acids decreased on curing. Total free amino acid concentration increased on cooking‐slightly in uncured hams and to a much larger extent in cured hams. Smoking resulted in negligible change in total amino acid concentration of hams, although a number of individual amino acids were affected. Aqueous extracts and diffusates of cured and uncured hams were differentiated by a trained panel on the basis of aromas produced on heating. Smoke aroma could be detected in cured smoked samples but only with difficulty, if at all, in uncured smoked samples. Precursors of basic meaty aroma are water extractable from all hams examined, whereas components or precursors of cured and smoky aroma may be extracted from hams with chloroform‐methanol. Gas chromatography of volatiles developed on heating of ham diffusates and lipid extracts was carried out and the odors of the components separated were observed. Some variations among the patterns of volatiles from the 6 types of hams studied were observed, but no single component had a meaty or cured
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