A North Carolina tradition hits menu boards across the state Oct. 15-25 for Country Ham Restaurant Week. The event will bring together 11 restaurants from the mountains to the coast, pairing some of the state’s most creative chefs with country ham producers to celebrate an ingredient that has been part of North Carolina tables for generations. The event coincides with the return of the N.C. State Fair Country Ham Competition, connecting the farmers, curers and cooks who built the tradition with the chefs carrying it forward today.