I still remember when I was a child, a bowl of braised pork could be fragrant for ten miles, and my saliva was watering. Nowadays, the same dish always feels a little less flavorful. It's not a delusion, pork really doesn't taste as good as it used to be.
In the past, pork was uncommon, but it was fat and lean, and the aroma was overflowing. Nowadays, with the improvement of people's living standards, pork has become a frequent guest at the table, but the "lean" pig breed has taken a dominant position.
The reduction of fat content is the key reason why pork is not "fragrant". Fat contains a lot of flavor compounds, which break down when heated to produce an attractive aroma. The lean meat is low in fat, and the flavor is naturally bland.
Modern pig farming pursues efficiency, and the growth cycle of pigs is greatly shortened. In the past, it took a year or more for pork to be slaughtered, but now, it takes half a year or less.
The shortened growth cycle means that the accumulation of flavor compounds in the meat is insufficient. It takes time for flavor substances to form, and the longer the growth cycle, the richer the flavor substances.
The "change of taste" of pork is not only a change in taste, but also a reflection of the change in agricultural production methods.
In the past, pork was a "local pig", which was raised in the countryside and ate wild vegetables and leftovers from farms, with a long growth cycle and delicious meat. Nowadays, pork is a "foreign pig", factory raised, eating feed, the growth cycle is short, and the meat quality is bland.
If you want to regain the "flavor of yesteryear" of pork, you may need to return to a "slow" life.
On the one hand, choose pork with moderate fat content, which is fat and thin, in order to be more fragrant. On the other hand, it supports "slow breeding" of pork, giving pigs a sufficient growth cycle and allowing flavor substances to accumulate naturally.
Of course, this requires not only a change in the perception of consumers, but also a change in the entire agricultural production system.
Pork is an indispensable food on the table of Chinese. When we lament that pork is "not as good as before", we should also reflect on the changes in agricultural production methods. Perhaps, only by returning to a "slow" life can we get back the "true fragrance" of pork.
Why pork is not as delicious as before