China’s Love of Pig Trotters May be Saving the UK’s Pork Industry

China’s Love of Pig Trotters May be Saving the UK’s Pork Industry
Mar 28, 2014 By eChinacities.com

According to figures released by the British Food and Drink Federation (FDF), the UK’s worldwide exports of pork rose by a dramatic 92 percent. The source of this massive increase? China’s love of eating pig trotters, apparently.

Eight-two percent of all UK pork exports went to China, generating a revenue of £201 million. “There is a strong demand for pork in China and consumers like parts of the animal that we don’t consume, such as whole pig head and trotters,” Terry Jones from the FDF was quoted as saying. China’s affinity for parts shunned by most British people has in fact massively helped the UK’s pork “waste disposal”, where exports of unwanted parts to China rose by 18 percent to reach 47,534 tons.

The meat industry has become an increasingly important component in Sino-British trade and is directly correlated to Britain’s increase in exports. Last year, Britain signed a £45 million pound deal with China allowing it to export fresh and frozen porcine semen (that’s right, the semen of pigs!) with the aim of giving China’s pig gene pool a healthy dose of diversity.

Source: 163.com

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Keywords: China saving UK pork industry China’s love of pork trotters

28 Comments

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Paulus

I say, 'Live-and-let-live'; 'One-man's-trash-is-another-man's-treasure'. What's with all the bigotry? Nobody's asking YOU to like it! LOL.

Apr 04, 2014 20:50 Report Abuse

Guest2578926

Yeah, well, I don't like it; therefore you shouldn't like it either! So eat THAT!

Apr 04, 2014 20:51 Report Abuse

Guest2368048

A historical perspective is important here. China for 5000+ years has been plagued with wars (revolutions one after another, dynasty after dynasty meaning they never learnt their lessons by moving to democracy, thus making the same mistake for 5000+ years including now). With wars come famines. With famines come "strange cusine", from eating leather from leather shoes to tree bark. The lesson is, those who don't learn from their historical mistakes sooner or later end up eating the same shit their ancestors ate during wars and famines (to survive) thousands of years ago.

Apr 02, 2014 11:23 Report Abuse

louischuahm

Man, you really are optimistic aren't you? We are talking about pigs' trotters here, not war and famine. I'm sure other countries have had their fair share of war, dynastic crap and democracy. End of the day, what has that got to do with pigs' trotters for a start? You want to do a China bash, do it in an appropriate topic. That's fine with me.

Apr 02, 2014 18:51 Report Abuse

Guest2368048

You are doing a good job at exposing your limited awareness, louischahm.

Apr 04, 2014 09:26 Report Abuse

louischuahm

Guest2368048@ I don't know you and you obviously don't know me. So how is it that you knowI have limited awareness? Sometimes it's takes a less aware person to tell another that he has limited awareness. And for good measure, for very action there is an equal and opposite reaction, unquote. Perhaps you may do better with less sarcasm. People may like you more. Or are you incapable of being liked?

Apr 04, 2014 20:53 Report Abuse

Guest2368048

Grow up and quit being a people pleaser, louischahm.

Apr 08, 2014 20:13 Report Abuse

louischuahm

Guest@ I'm more grown up than you ever thought of me. I have no need to please anyone, least of all you. Sometimes, if you have nothing nice to say, don't say anything for others may think differently of you. So, what's your problem?

Apr 08, 2014 21:24 Report Abuse

adamgan

We eat all things with four legs except table. That's something one hears in China more than often.

Mar 31, 2014 16:07 Report Abuse

mike168229

I often wonder where all the nice cuts of meat go. Most of the time I see food made with all the crap that is left-over.

Mar 29, 2014 10:50 Report Abuse

bill8899

I'm also trying to figure that out.

Mar 30, 2014 14:11 Report Abuse

sharkies

It's funny how the Chinese eat all the leftover shit than nobody else wants. You are what you eat.

Mar 29, 2014 10:03 Report Abuse

coineineagh

Strange how theres so much much emphasis on foot hygiene here, but at the same time everyone's chomping down on pig's trotters. Either it's some kind of foot fetish, or there are different rules for external and internal (food) hygiene. Or maybe I'm just reading too much into it: Everyone's following 5000-year-old traditions to the letter, and it doesn't have to be logical, appetizing or hygienic (by modern standards).

Mar 28, 2014 20:44 Report Abuse

louischuahm

LOL! Well, you need to be South East Asian to understand why we love pigs' innards. I'm not talking China but SE Asian. The taste and texture cannot be replicated anywhere else. I suppose it's the same as Malaysian durian compared to French cheese. Either you love it or hate it. I'd say the same for haggis in the UK. I hated it.

Mar 28, 2014 20:58 Report Abuse

skunkman

It takes an acquired taste to appreciate the many 'street foods' in Southeast Asia...certainly not for the faint-hearted!

Mar 28, 2014 21:25 Report Abuse

coineineagh

I've eaten it a few times at weddings here in Sichuan, so it's not exclusive to SEAsia. The 'palm' has a decent meaty core, so it's nicer than all the cartilage and tendons of most other local foods. But many of those porkfeet have a pungent aroma that is hard to endure for me. probably similar to an Asian's experience with old cheese. ... Now I'm not sure if it was cow's or pig's trotters...

Mar 28, 2014 21:42 Report Abuse

louischuahm

No no, the Sichuan one is completely different. I've eaten that before. If you've been to Bangkok and eaten the Ka Moo, I'd say it's the closest.

Mar 28, 2014 21:47 Report Abuse

DrMonkey

Nah, pig's feet and innards are also delicacies in France, next to frogs, beef's tongue or sheep's brain, snails, live oysters... French, the South-East Asians of Europe ^^

Mar 28, 2014 23:00 Report Abuse

coineineagh

I studied there for 3 months, but I knew enough to just eat the normal stuff. Asian 'delicacies' are usually not that tasty. It's usually 'rare' meats; as in strange pieces of meat like this. I remember my professor treating me to a delicacy: It looked to me like half a pig's spine in watery soup with empty shrimp shells floating on it.

Mar 28, 2014 23:00 Report Abuse

louischuahm

Oh, you should try the bak kut teh if and when you do get to Singapore. It's a very peppery pork rib soup. You can order side dishes of kidneys, liver, intestines, skin, the lot. Super duper hot, spicy and absofuckinglutely MARVELICIOUS! Btw, the shrimp shell looking thing is actually garlic skins.

Mar 28, 2014 23:19 Report Abuse

coineineagh

I was fond of: "Cow pat; moo." A meal and a chuckle.

Mar 30, 2014 17:03 Report Abuse

louischuahm

Large and small intestines braised to perfection, peppery stomach soup, caramelized trotters with rice...ARRGGHH!!! MARVELICIOUS!!!!,

Mar 28, 2014 20:43 Report Abuse

skunkman

There goes my saliva!!!

Mar 28, 2014 20:52 Report Abuse

skunkman

Pig's feet with black beans...awesome!!!

Mar 28, 2014 20:34 Report Abuse

DrMonkey

Same story for USA's chicken and chicken feet : big market.

Mar 28, 2014 18:14 Report Abuse