PURPOSE: To prepare raw ham having improved taste without lowering the stability to microorganisms, by salting the raw meat with a brine or a salting agent containing sodium lactate and/or potassium lactate.

CONSTITUTION: At least a part of the salt in the conventional brine or salting agent for the salting of raw meat is substituted with nearly equimolar amount of sodium lactate and/or potassium lactate to obtain a brine or a salting agent. The objective raw ham can be prepared by salting raw meat in the brine or salting agent, and aging, drying and smoking the salted meat. The raw ham obtained by this process has weak salty taste and excellent palatability while keeping the microbial stability and water activity. Raw ham having desired saltness can be obtained by controlling the amount of the lactate substituted to the salt.