Mouthing Off | What have Western diners got against pork, Asia’s favourite meat?
- Beef may be the red meat of choice in much of the West but pork is more popular across Asia
- In Chinese, the word for meat implies pork – evidence of just how common it is to eat it
I was watching a British food show the other day and the host said something very surprising. While cooking a pork dish, he noted: “This is a really underrated meat.”
Really? Pork is underrated?
The chef was cooking loin, so maybe he was referring to that cut specifically – most families buy pork chops for dinners – but I think he was talking more generally about the meat.
The presenter was probably only noting the British situation. I checked Google and, indeed, the search revealed that pork sales in Britain fall behind not only beef but other meats, too.
According to the British Meat Processors Association, beef is the consumer’s top choice of protein in Britain, with chicken a close second. After that, even lamb outshines pork in third place for popularity. Maybe this television chef has a point.