Shangsi Fragrant Pig

Shangsi Fragrant Pig

　　Shangsi Fragrant Pig is a local pig breed of the South China type, featuring black-and-white fur. The pigs are sturdy with short bodies, round snouts, short legs, and fine bones. They are best slaughtered and consumed when they reach around 40 kilograms. The fragrant pig, after being processed, seasoned, and roasted, boasts a golden color, crispy skin, tender meat, and a delicious taste that is neither fishy nor greasy—offering an excellent balance of color, aroma, and flavor.

　　Shangsi Fragrant Pig has a long history and is exported as far as Hong Kong, gaining fame internationally. Records of breeding these pigs date back to 1834: "Piglets from Baaidu Village are particularly famous because the water from the village’s ponds and wells gives their meat an exceptionally fragrant and delicious taste, which is why it is said that the best Shangsi Fragrant Pigs come from there. The pigs are not fed anything but bran and rice, but the quality of the water also plays a role—for example, in Chengnei's Mojia Port, there is a pond where pigs are raised, and their small intestines turn out especially tender, crispy, and fragrant." These accounts show that Shangsi Fragrant Pig is not a specific breed, but rather a type of pig made fragrant due to the local water quality.

　　Shangsi Fragrant Pig is known for its tender, fragrant, crispy meat and thin skin. It can be prepared in various ways such as barbecuing, stir-frying, or curing. It was once exported to places like Hong Kong and enjoyed high popularity. During the 1970s and 1980s, foreign trade departments even procured local suckling pigs for the Hong Kong market.

　　Fragrant pig meat is high in protein, low in fat, and nutritionally comprehensive. It has special benefits for beauty and health care, as well as unique effects in preventing cardiovascular diseases, making it a green, health-promoting food.