Welcome to Gaia! ::

Is that a happy groan or bad groan?

Well, there's a Black Forest in southwest Germany, a mountainous region bordering France, which is known for its dense evergreen forests and picturesque villages, which apparently inspired some of the Brothers Grimm fairy tales.

Black Forest ham is a variety of dry-cured smoked ham, produced in the Black Forest region of Germany. In the European Union, the term "Black Forest ham" is a Protected Designation of Origin, meaning any product sold in the EU as "Black Forest ham" must come from the Black Forest region in Germany. However, this appellation is not recognized in non-EU countries, particularly in United States and Canada, where various commercially produced hams of varying degrees of quality are marketed and sold as "Black Forest ham".

Black Forest gummies are owned by the Ferrara Candy Company, founded in Chicago, Illinois by Italian man Salvatore Ferrara. The company is also responsible for Brachs (candy corn), Lemonheads, and various other candies. From what information I can dig up, it sounds like the Ferrara Candy Company had bought the licensing for Black Forest Gummy Bears in the 1990s and eventually expanded it to gummy worms, tarantulas, and other gummy varieties. It does sound like Black Forest Gummy Bears originally had German origins and most likely got it's name from the Black Forest region in Germany.

So, basically "Black Forest" isn't necessarily a brand name per se. It's just indicating the German history/origins behind its invention.

American Black Forest ham probably uses a similar cooking technique but probably isn't made on the same degree of quality as the original German one. There's probably a difference in taste between an authentic German Black Forest ham and an American one. *shrugs* Not to mention, it sounds like only a select few (licensed butchers mostly) are able to make Black Forest ham in the EU; where as American Black Forest ham is made on a commercial level - anyone with the right equipment can do it.