Pork Roll - Origin and Description

Origin and Description

A similar product, packed minced ham, may have been produced at the time of the Battle of Trenton.

Taylor kept the recipe for the product he created in 1856 secret. George Washington Case, a farmer and butcher from nearby Belle Mead, New Jersey, created his own recipe for pork roll in 1870. Case's was reportedly packaged in corn husks.

Taylor originally called his product "Taylor's Prepared Ham", but was forced to change the name after the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906 was passed, since the product did not meet the new legal definition of "ham". The new name was "Pork Roll" and it was marketed as both "Taylor's Pork Roll" and "Trenton Pork Roll". Competitors marketed products with similar names like "Rolled Pork" and "Trenton style Pork Roll" and were sued by Taylor. A 1910 legal case ruled that the words "Pork Roll" could not be trademarked.

Some people compare the taste and/or texture to SPAM, Treet, bologna, mild salami, smoked summer sausage, or US-style Canadian bacon. In 1910 it was described as "a food article made of pork, packed in a cylindrical cotton sack or bag in such form that it could be quickly prepared for cooking by slicing without removal from the bag."

Pork roll is generally sold in 1, 1.5, and 3 lb. unsliced rolls packed in cotton bag, as well as 6 oz. boxes containing 4, 6, or 8 slices. Larger rolls and packages are available for food service customers. It is also sold at delicatessens, diners, lunch stands and food trucks in the region.It has also been a staple in public school cafeterias in New Jersey.