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Pork rind is the cooked skin of a pig. This may be either eaten warm with a meal, or served cold as a snack. In both forms some fat is commonly still attached to the skin. PORK RIND AS A SNACK When used as a Snack Food chunks or ''pellets'' of the cured pork Skin (sometimes including portions of meat and/or hair as well) is deep-fried and puffed into light, irregular curls, and often seasoned with Chilli Pepper or Barbecue flavoring. A similar food is Crackling s, made from thicker, and therefore harder and crunchier, pieces of fried pigskin. In the Southern United States , pork rinds carry less social stigma, whereas elsewhere they are often poorly regarded due to their origins, high fat content (even for snack foods), and perceived crudity as a snack. Microwavable pork rinds are sold which pop like Popcorn and can be eaten still warm. Pickled pork rinds, on the other hand, are often enjoyed refrigerated and cold. Unlike the crisp and fluffy texture of fried pork rinds, pickled pork rinds are very rich and buttery, much like Foie Gras . Unfried pork rind is also processed into colorful and appealing shapes for use as fish Bait . When he was in the White House , U.S. President George H. W. Bush said that pork rinds were his favorite snack. Health issues There is some interest in pork rinds as a healthy snack food due to the Atkins Diet , since pork rinds contain no Carbohydrate s (unless flavored). They are, however, high in fat and sodium, and generally may be considered more delicious than healthy to those who enjoy them. In fact, the fat content of pork rinds is similar to that of potato chips, and the amount of sodium in a serving of pork rinds is nearly 5 times of that within a serving of potato chips. For example, a 14 gram serving of Utz Regular Pork Rinds contains 5 grams of fat and 230 milligrams of sodium whereas the same serving of Utz Regular Potato Chips contains 4.5 grams of fat and 47 milligrams of sodium. Pork rinds generally contain 8 grams of protein in a 14 gram serving, more than any food except dried meats such as Jerky . The fat content of jerky, however, is much lower, making it a healthier choice. Microwaveable pork rinds have a healthier nutritional profile than the deep-fried variety, with only 2 grams of fat per 14 gram serving and no saturated fat, although the sodium level may be as high as 350 milligrams per serving. The high protein content of pork rinds makes them more nutritious than some low-fat snack foods, such as fat-free pretzels. PORK CRACKLING ''Pork crackling'' is the British name for pork rind produced when roasting a joint of pork. The heat of the oven causes the fatty pork skin to dry up and become crunchy. This is then eaten as part of a traditional Sunday roast by some families. CRACKLINGS Cracklings is the American name for pork rind produced by frying or roasting, though it can be expanded to include the skin of a goose or another animal. Cracklings as snack is usually understood to consist of cooked Pork Rind that has had salt rubbed into it and that has been scored with a sharp knife. This produces a crisp, bubbly outer surface with a layer of cooked fat on the underside. Crackling is considered by some to be an essential part of joint of roast Pork . However, the term in cooking also applies to a variety of fatty materials, fried to crispness, such as poultry skin or the remains of trying out for fat of a number of animal products lamb, et cetera . In the United Kingdom , 'pork cracklings' or Pork Scratchings are sold as a Snack Food in the same way pork rinds are in the USA . In the USA, Cracklins are fried pieces of pork skin with attached underlying fat which are generally considered to be part of Soul Food cooking. Cracklins are not frequently served as part of a regular meal unless they are served in ''cracklin bread'', which is Cornbread in which cracklins have been placed in the batter prior to its being baked or fried. Rather, they are a Snack item which would typically be served at times other than regular mealtimes, and are regarded as more of a delicacy or treat. Cracklins are naturally very high in Fat and Cholesterol , which is to be expected considering what they are composed of and the fact that they are generally prepared by being deep-fried or skillet-fried in Lard . Cracklins prepared by persons who still conduct the home butchering of hogs, which is still occasionally conducted in the Rural South but with decreasing frequency, have a decidedly different taste from those which are available commercially. PORK SCRATCHINGS Pork scratchings or '''pork cracklings''' is the British term for pork rind eaten cold as a snack. Pork Scratchings are typically heavy, hard, have a crispy layer of fat under the skin, and are flavoured with salt. Origin The consensus of opinion is that British pork rind originated in the Black Country area of the West Midlands , in England . It would seem that Pork Scratchings were very much a food of the Working Classes which have their origin in the 1800's when it was produced as part of the tradition of families keeping their own Pig at home and feeding it up for Slaughter . In modern times the fine layer of Hair is removed from the skin by burning; however this is not completely effective and some pieces still have the hair attached. Some people prefer the rind to have the hair attached. Butchers started selling pork scratchings in the 1930s , and more recently a product called pork crunch has been developed, in which much of the fat is scraped off, resulting in a lower-fat, softer alternative. Black country pork scratchings Pork rinds are a Black Country delicacy. They are also known as Pork Scratchings or crackling, and hark back to the days when every West Midlands family used to keep pigs in their garden. The Black Country is the original industrialised heartland of the UK, deriving its name from the smoke and soot from the heavy industries such as chain and anchor making, iron works, and heavy mining. The Black Country (pronounced blacountraye by locals) has its own dialect. Most of the pork scatching factories are based in Wolverhampton , Walsall and Tipton . OTHER COUNTRIES In France they are known as ''grattons'' and they are also consumed in Spain . In Portugal , they are normally on sale from stands near large popular gatherings, such as football stadiums, and are accompanied with a well chilled Beer . In Britain , they are known as ''hog lumps'' or ''pork scratchings'', and are often eaten as an accompaniment to drinks in a Pub . They have been popular in the Black Country since the days when every family used to fatten up a "tunkey pig," slaughter it for meat, and slice the skin with the fat into strips which they would then deep fry. CHICHARRONES Pork rinds are also popular in Latin America and Spain, where they are known as '' Chicharrones '' (the singular form, ''chicharrón,'' is also used as a Mass Noun ). They are eaten alone as a snack, or as the meat portion in various stews and soups, which can be eaten with Cachapa s, or as a stuffing in Arepa s, Pupusa s, or in a Taco or Gordita with Salsa Verde . They are usually made with different cuts of Pork , but sometimes with other meats, like Poultry , Beef , Ram , etc. In Cuba , Puerto Rico and Venezuela chicharrones are also made with chicken and, in Argentina with beef. In this cases they are consumed mostly as Snack s. The ''cueritos'' type is a Mexican snack. It is made with pork skins and marinated in vinegar instead of deep fried. They are eaten as a snack. In México and the USA, snack-food companies have commercialized a vegetarian version of the deep-fried type, with Chile and Lime flavorings. EXTERNAL LINKS
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