Surprise as top-rated Christmas ham is more affordable than 40 years ago

A Coles ham, which will bring Christmas cheer for $8 a kilo, has been named the best on offer at the major supermarkets, with Choice saying it balances sweet and smoky flavours with the perfect "mild ham taste".

After conducting a blind taste-test of 12 Christmas hams from IGA, Woolworths, Coles and Aldi, Choice named the best and worst for 2025, ranking the cuts on flavour, texture, appearance and smell.

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"To help you choose the best option for your festive table, we bought 12 leg hams available from the major supermarkets, and gave them to a panel of experts to see how they taste," a spokesperson for Choice said.

"Our blind taste test found that the quality can actually vary dramatically, and price isn't necessarily an indicator of quality."

Rated 80 per cent, costing $8 a kilo, Choice taste testers said the Coles Christmas Beechwood Smoked Half Leg Ham had a mild aroma with a balance of sweet and smoky flavours.

"Flavour is balanced with low salt and mild ham taste, and good texture with moist mouthfeel," they said.

"Taste is nice and pleasant, a very good overall ham."

Runner-up was Woolworths Mountain Ash Wood Double Smoked Half Leg Ham, rated 75 per cent and costing $13 a kilo.

The ham has a good appearance with clean creamy fat and an evenly smoked colour, a mild pleasant aroma and mild, slightly sweet flavour, according to Choice taste testers.

"Texture is mostly moist but can be dry and chewy in thicker slices," they said. "Some holes are evident in flesh, but overall appearance and quality are good."

In third place was Woolworths Bone In Half Leg Ham, rates 70 per cent, and costing $8/kilo, which had a good overall colour, natural appearance, although some sections were pale, and clean fat, according to Choice.

"Aroma is mild with unusual fruity/sweet notes that carry into flavour."

Aldi and Woolworths each had a ham ranked on the lower end, with Aldi Festive Selection Australian Half Leg Ham On-The-Bone scoring 61 per cent, and Woolworths Gold Collection Triple Smoked Free Range Half Leg Ham scoring 62 per cent.

Choice said the Woolworths ham had a "very dark, almost burnt-looking colour, suggesting heavy smoking" and the texture was dry and overcooked.

Aldi's Festive Selection ham had a "pale, dry, and uneven" appearance and a "dry and powdery" texture.

A spokesperson for Woolworths said they were happy the Mountain Ash Wood Double Smoked received a high rating, adding everyone has unique tastes.

"We know everyone has a different favourite flavour at Christmas, which is why we offer a range from traditional bone-in to our premium Gold selections, ensuring every Australian family finds the perfect ham for their table," the spokesperson said.

Aldi's ham has been awarded five stars for its value, taste, freshness and packaging, a spokesperson for the supermarket said.

"We are confident in both the exceptional quality and amazing price point of our festive ham products, and we look forward to our hams becoming the centrepiece of our customers' Christmas celebrations."

About 40 years ago, hams were slightly more expensive than today, according to a vintage Christmas ad.

An ad from the December 10, 1998 issue of the Port Lincoln Times includes prices for Chapman's Shoulder Ham at $5.99, and an Ambassador Gold Apricot Half Leg Ham, at $13.99.

According to the Reserve Bank of Australia's inflation calculator, the lower-priced ham would today cost $10.26, while the higher-end leg ham would set you back the equivalent of $28.77.

Affordable hams were also a must-have item in 1904, with the December 19 issue of Rockhampton's Daily Record advertising Star Ham for nine pence a pound.

Adjusting for inflation, Star Hams would today cost about $7.24.