Pork roll expert weighs in on the pork roll vs. Taylor ham debate

How long have people in New Jersey been waging the pork roll versus Taylor ham debate?

Well the Garden State was founded in 1787, so ... more than 200 years?

Just kidding — it only feels that way. John Taylor of Trenton didn't invent pork roll until 1856.

He first called it Taylor ham, but federal legislation declared that ham is a specific cut of pork. Taylor changed the name to pork roll in 1906, and while the original name stuck in the northern part of the state, folks further south still call it pork roll.

Where exactly is the dividing line?

"Let’s put it this way: It’s a very fine line in Jersey where the pork roll/Taylor ham (demilitarized zone) is, and it almost divides our state perfectly in half," said John Yarusi, owner of Johnny's Pork Roll and Coffee Too food trucks and Red Bank restaurant. "If I had to peg that line, it’s the southern border of Middlesex County and the northern border of Mercer County.

"Some say the Driscoll Bridge, which isn’t a bad point of reference as well," he said.

This name game is one that will continue as long as pork roll is around: New Jerseyans are nothing if not opinionated. And don't think you'll be able to change someone's mind, because many have tried and failed.

"You can't tell people what to call something," Yarusi said. "They're gonna call it whatever they want."

Our Pork Roll Playoff bracket is set

Last week, we asked readers to help us fill the final two spots in our Pork Roll Playoff bracket, a friendly monthlong competition to determine the best pork roll, egg and cheese sandwich at the Shore.

The votes were between Talierico's Ultimate Gourmet in Middletown and The Local Market & Kitchen in Ship Bottom for one play-in position, and The Gourmet Deli in West Creek and Beach Shack Deli in Point Pleasant Beach for the other.

The winners? Local Market and Beach Shack. Congrats to them, and thanks to everyone for voting in the play-in matches.

But the fun is just beginning. Round 1 of the Pork Roll Playoff begins Wednesday, March 1, at app.com. Votes are limited to one per day. Be sure to get your friends and family to vote for your favorite by sharing the matchups on social media with #PorkRollPlayoff.

Did someone say pork roll?

Here's more on the story of this New Jersey breakfast obsession.

Pork roll and NJ: A perfect pair

Want to pick a fight with someone from New Jersey? Tell them you don't like pork roll. We take our pork roll seriously — when we asked readers to tell us where they go when the craving strikes, we heard from more than 350 of you.

Pork roll hot dogs? Find them in Upper Freehold Township

Inside the Pork Roll Store and More, locally made sauces, grocery items and fresh bread from Trenton's Italian Peoples Bakery and Deli line the shelves. In the back, they make their own pork roll, plus Italian sausage, kielbasa, chorizo, and smoked ham and bacon. The pork roll is sold wholesale, sliced, in logs, pickled, and in hot dog form.

More pork roll eats

Many people think pork roll tastes best served on a hard roll with cheese with a fried egg, a shake of salt and pepper, and a swipe of ketchup. But sometimes, chefs and cooks get creative.

Pork roll ice cream?!

In 2018, a New Jersey dairy farm created a new ice cream flavor incorporating pork roll. Windy Brow Farms in Fredon Township introduced the state's first "Taylor ham ice cream," referring to the specific brand of pork roll famous to New Jersey residents.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: New Jersey pork roll or Taylor ham: What do you call it