- Season
- Available all year; demand peaks before Christmas, New Year's Eve and other celebrations, when chlebíčky are traditionally served
- Price
- Medium
- Nutrition per 100 g
- 106 kcal
- 16.7 g protein
- 3.7 g fat
- 0.3 g carbs
Premium Sandwich Ham
Meat
Premium Sandwich Ham
Šunka chlebíčková výběrová is a Czech cooked ham made only from pork leg, sold in the legally defined 'výběrová' (select) quality grade and made specifically for slicing onto chlebíčky, the Czech open-faced sandwiches on sliced veka bread. Under Czech law (vyhláška 69/2016 Sb.), any heat-treated meat product called 'šunka' must be made from pork leg and must show its quality class on the label.
In practice
How to store
- On the counter
Do not leave it out. Keep it at room temperature only while you assemble the sandwiches, and for no more than about 2 hours in total.
- In the fridge
Store at 1–5 °C in a sealed container or wrap, away from raw meat. Unopened packs keep until the use-by date ('spotřebujte do'). Eat ham sliced at the counter, or opened packs, within 2–3 days, or within any shorter period the label gives.
- In the freezer
It can be frozen at −18 °C for about 1–2 months, ideally well wrapped with paper between the slices. Thaw it in the fridge. Thawed ham releases water and turns softer, so use it in cooked dishes rather than on chlebíčky.
How to choose
Read the name on the label. It must include the quality class, so look for the word 'výběrová'. Do not confuse it with 'standardní', which is cheaper and may contain starch and plant protein. Check the meat percentage in the ingredient list, which is often about 75 % for this grade, and compare the pure muscle protein (čistá svalová bílkovina, ČSB) figure. Higher numbers mean less added brine. At the deli counter, the slices should be evenly pink and moist, not slimy, grey at the edges or sitting in liquid. If you are making chlebíčky, ask for thin slices (about 1–2 mm) so they fold neatly over the bread. Allergens and additives vary by producer, so read the label of each product.
What to swap in
Best swap
Šunka nejvyšší jakosti (highest-grade cooked pork-leg ham), sliced thinly. It has more meat, a firmer bite and a higher price.
In a pinch
Šunka chlebíčková standardní (the standard grade) or another cooked pork ham. Expect a softer, wetter texture and possibly added starch or plant protein.
Preparation
It is ready to eat and needs no cooking. For chlebíčky, fold or roll each thin slice onto buttered or mayonnaise-spread veka slices, or onto a layer of bramborový salát (potato salad) or vlašský salát (a meat salad bound with mayonnaise). Then decorate with egg, cheese, pickled gherkin and pepper. Slice it just before serving so the edges do not dry out, and keep the finished chlebíčky chilled until you serve them.
Don't toss it
Dice leftover slices and edges into vlašský salát, scrambled eggs, šunkofleky (baked pasta with ham), toasted sandwiches or a cream sauce for pasta.
In the kitchen
Cooking
Its main use is cold, on chlebíčky, jednohubky (canapés) and everyday sandwiches. It also works in cooked dishes such as šunkofleky, omelettes, toasted sandwiches, pizza, ham rolls filled with horseradish cream (šunkové rolky), and pasta or rice dishes. Add it at the end of cooking so it does not dry out.
Goes well with
- Veka (Chlebíčková Veka)
- Bramborový Salát
- Vlašský Salát
- Butter
- Mayonnaise
- Hard-Boiled Egg
- Eidam Cheese
- Pickled Gherkins
- Sweet Pepper
- Tomato
- Chives
- Mustard
What it is
Šunka chlebíčková výběrová is a Czech cooked ham made only from pork leg, sold in the legally defined 'výběrová' (select) quality grade and made specifically for slicing onto chlebíčky, the Czech open-faced sandwiches on sliced veka bread. Under Czech law (vyhláška 69/2016 Sb.), any heat-treated meat product called 'šunka' must be made from pork leg and must show its quality class on the label. There are three classes: nejvyšší jakosti (highest quality, at least 16 % pure muscle protein), výběrová (select, at least 13 %) and standardní (standard, at least 10 %). Výběrová is the middle grade. It is not the top grade, but it must not contain added colourings, fibre, starch, or plant or other animal proteins. Producers may still use permitted brine ingredients such as water, salt, nitrite curing salt, phosphates and certain thickeners, for example carrageenan. 'Chlebíčková' describes what the ham is for, not a legal grade. Czech delis sell it by weight, sliced to order from large loaves of around 2–2.5 kg, and it also comes pre-sliced in packs.
How it tastes
Mild, salty and gently cured, with the pink colour and rounded 'ham' taste that comes from nitrite curing. Some recipes add a little sugar or a ham flavouring. The texture is moist, even and easy to slice thinly. Because it is a select-grade ham, it tastes clearly meatier and is less spongy than standard-grade chlebíčková ham, but it is less dense than whole-muscle ham of the highest grade.
Common questions
What does 'výběrová' mean on Czech ham?
Is chlebíčková ham the best quality Czech ham?
How long does sliced chlebíčková ham keep?
Does it contain allergens or nitrites?
Can I freeze it?
Deep dive
2 min read
Varieties
Šunka chlebíčková standardní
: the cheaper standard grade sold for the same use. It must contain at least 10 % pure muscle protein and may include starch, plant protein and other fillers.
Šunka výběrová (not labelled chlebíčková)
: the same legal grade, made in other shapes or sold as sandwich and breakfast ham.
Šunka nejvyšší jakosti
: the highest Czech grade. It must contain at least 16 % pure muscle protein and is made with very few permitted additives.
Pražská šunka (Prague ham)
: a traditional Czech ham, usually sold in the same grade system. It is often cooked on the bone and smoked, so it is a different product.
International relatives
: Italian prosciutto cotto, French jambon blanc and German Kochschinken are also cooked hams, but they are made to different national rules and do not use the Czech grade names.
History
Chlebíčky became a Prague delicatessen speciality in the early twentieth century. They are usually credited to the Paukert delicatessen on Národní třída. Cooked ham has been one of the classic toppings ever since. The current legal grades for ham (nejvyšší jakosti, výběrová, standardní) are set out in vyhláška 69/2016 Sb. The grades help shoppers tell meat-rich ham from cheaper products with more added water and fillers.
Science
The pork leg meat is injected or tumbled with brine containing salt and sodium nitrite. Nitrite gives the stable pink colour and cured flavour and inhibits Clostridium botulinum. Phosphates (E450, E451) and thickeners such as carrageenan (E407, E407a) help the meat hold the added water. The meat is then pressed into moulds and cooked until set. The 'čistá svalová bílkovina' (ČSB) figure measures muscle protein, not counting collagen and added proteins. That is why it is the legal measure of quality: added water lowers it, and fillers cannot raise it.
Sourcing and ethics
The label must state the meat content, but the pork's country of origin is often not shown on deli ham, so ask the shop or the producer if it matters to you. Choosing the výběrová or highest grade means paying for more meat and less added water. Some Czech producers offer ham from Czech-raised pigs, or from higher-welfare or organic (bio) farming. Look for these claims on the label.