what does it mean when a split pea soup recipe calls for a ham bone?

[Jess]

Does it mean JUST the bone??? or the meat on it... also.... why would you want to make a soup out of the bone and not the meat??? is there something else I could use? LIKE PERHAPS HAM MEAT??? I really dont want to put the bone of a ham in my soup.. I want ham in it... what's the alternative when making split pea soup?

[Jeanne]

You can usually get a ham bone (the meatier the better) in the meat dept. of your grocery store - or ask the butcher. OR, buy and cook a bone in ham and use the bone from that.

[ningkie]

a lot of the flavour comes from the collagen that's from the bones. it gives off so much flavour. you wouldn't make chicken stock with just chicken meat and no bone, would you? just like when you order turnip greens in a restaurant, most often times, they would have used either a ham bone or a smoked turkey leg

the smoked turkey leg is often an excellent substitute.

[marduk D]

the bone from a ham, if you dont have one use a smoked ham hock or some smoked pork neck bones
failing those try some cubed spam