# from the same animal **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 1, 2006, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-the-same-animal/374838 "2006-10-01T16:10:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![slowpoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5a626/32.png) [@slowpoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slowpoke)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2006, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-the-same-animal/374838/1 "2006-10-01T16:10:02Z")
Why is “ham” pink, yet “pork” is white? ---
**Author:** ![capybara](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/capybara/32/202_2.png) [@capybara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capybara)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2006, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-the-same-animal/374838/2 "2006-10-01T16:12:32Z")
It’s a magical animal. I mean, different parts. Same as dark and light meat on turkey. More dense muscle versus lighter density meat? ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2006, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-the-same-animal/374838/3 "2006-10-01T16:24:41Z")
Fresh ham is also white, it’s the curing process that changes the color. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2006, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-the-same-animal/374838/4 "2006-10-01T16:28:08Z")
Ham is a cured meat, treated with salt or other substances to preserve it. This turns the meat pink. The same pinkish color is found in other cured meats, such as corned beef or pastrami. Fresh ham is whitish when cooked, the same as other pork.