Pig's ear, as food for human consumption, is the cooked ear of

pig The pig (''Sus domesticus''), often called swine, hog, or domestic pig when distinguishing from other members of the genus '' Sus'', is an omnivorous, domesticated, even-toed, hoofed mammal. It is variously considered a subspecies of ''Sus ...

. It is found in several cuisines around the world.

Human consumption

Bulgarian cuisine

In Bulgaria, a pig's ear is used as an appetizer for beer or wine. It is first boiled and then grilled with lemon, soy sauce, salt, and ground pepper.

Chinese cuisine

General

Chinese cuisine Chinese cuisine encompasses the numerous cuisines originating from China, as well as overseas cuisines created by the Chinese diaspora. Because of the Chinese diaspora and historical power of the country, Chinese cuisine has influenced many ot ...

, pig's ear is often an appetizer or a side dish, called 豬耳朵 (

pinyin Hanyu Pinyin (), often shortened to just pinyin, is the official romanization system for Standard Mandarin Chinese in China, and to some extent, in Singapore and Malaysia. It is often used to teach Mandarin, normally written in Chinese for ...

: ''zhū ěr duo'', "pig's ear"), often abbreviated to 豬耳 (

: ''zhū ěr''). In some regions, pig's ears are known as 层层脆 (''ceng ceng cui'', literally "layers of crunch"). It can be first boiled or stewed, and then sliced thin, served with

soy sauce Soy sauce (also called simply soy in American English and soya sauce in British English) is a liquid condiment of Chinese origin, traditionally made from a fermented paste of soybeans, roasted grain, brine, and '' Aspergillus oryzae'' or ''Asp ...

, or spiced with

chili paste Chili sauce and chili paste are condiments prepared with chili peppers. Chili sauce may be hot, sweet or a combination thereof, and may differ from hot sauce in that many sweet or mild varieties exist, which is typically lacking in hot sauces. ...

. When cooked, the outer texture is gelatinous, akin to

tofu Tofu (), also known as bean curd in English, is a food prepared by coagulating soy milk and then pressing the resulting curds into solid white blocks of varying softness; it can be ''silken'', ''soft'', ''firm'', ''extra firm'' or ''super firm ...

, and the center

cartilage Cartilage is a resilient and smooth type of connective tissue. In tetrapods, it covers and protects the ends of long bones at the joints as articular cartilage, and is a structural component of many body parts including the rib cage, the neck an ...

is crunchy. Pig's ear can be eaten warm or cold.

Cantonese cuisine

Cantonese cuisine Cantonese or Guangdong cuisine, also known as Yue cuisine ( or ) is the cuisine of Guangdong province of China, particularly the provincial capital Guangzhou, and the surrounding regions in the Pearl River Delta including Hong Kong and Maca ...

, it is another ingredient used in

lou mei ''Lou mei'' is the Cantonese name given to dishes made by braising in a sauce known as a master stock or ''lou'' sauce ( or ). The dish is known as ''lu wei'' in Taiwan. ''Lou mei'' can be made from meat, offal, and other off-cuts. The most co ...

. The emphasis is on using all edible parts of the pig. Pig's ears (and lou mei in general) are not considered as

delicacies A delicacy is usually a rare and expensive food item that is considered highly desirable, sophisticated, or peculiarly distinctive within a given culture. Irrespective of local preferences, such a label is typically pervasive throughout a r ...

Filipino cuisine

In the Philippines, the dish known as ''Sisig'' may sometimes use pig ears as part of its ingredients

Lithuanian cuisine

Pig's ear, known in Lithuania as kiaulės ausis, is served either smoked and cut into thin strips as a beer snack, or boiled whole and served as the main dish with horseradish and fresh vegetables or pickles.

Okinawan cuisine

Okinawan cuisine is the cuisine of the Okinawa Prefecture of Japan. The cuisine is also known as , a reference to the Ryukyu Kingdom. Due to differences in culture, historical contact between other regions, climate, vegetables and other ingredients, Okinawan cu ...

, the pig's ear is called ''mimigaa'' (ミミガー). It is prepared by boiling or

pickling Pickling is the process of preserving or extending the shelf life of food by either anaerobic fermentation in brine or immersion in vinegar. The pickling procedure typically affects the food's texture and flavor. The resulting food is called a ...

and is served with vinegar or in the form of

sashimi is a Japanese delicacy consisting of fresh raw fish or meat sliced into thin pieces and often eaten with soy sauce. Origin The word ''sashimi'' means "pierced body", i.e. "刺身" = ''sashimi'', where 刺し = ''sashi'' (pierced, stuck) ...

(sliced raw meat). The entirety of the pig's face is also eaten in Okinawa, where it is known as ''chiragaa'' (チラガー).

Spanish cuisine

Spanish cuisine Spanish cuisine consists of the cooking traditions and practices from Spain. Olive oil (of which Spain is the world's largest producer) is heavily used in Spanish cuisine. It forms the base of many vegetable sauces (known in Spanish as ''sofri ...

, pig's ear is served roasted as ''Oreja de Cerdo'', one of the

tapas A tapa () is an appetizer or snack in Spanish cuisine. Tapas can be combined to make a full meal, and can be cold (such as mixed olives and cheese) or hot (such as ''chopitos'', which are battered, fried baby squid, or patatas bravas). In some ...

snacks, or boiled in many variants of

stew A stew is a combination of solid food ingredients that have been cooked in liquid and served in the resultant gravy. A stew needs to have raw ingredients added to the gravy. Ingredients in a stew can include any combination of vegetables and ...

and

cocido () or ''cozido'' () is a traditional stew eaten as a main dish in Spain, Portugal, Brazil and other Hispanophone and Lusophone countries. Etymology In Spanish, ''cocido'' is the past participle of the verb ''cocer'' ("to boil"), so it literal ...

Portuguese cuisine

Portuguese cuisine The oldest known book on Portuguese cuisine, entitled ''Livro de Cozinha da Infanta D. Maria de Portugal'', from the 16th century, describes many popular dishes of meat, fish, poultry and others. ''Culinária Portuguesa'', by António-Maria De O ...

, pig's ear is served boiled and then roasted, with garlic and fresh coriander as ''Orelha de Porco de Coentrada''.

Thai cuisine

Thai cuisine Thai cuisine ( th, อาหารไทย, , ) is the national cuisine of Thailand. Thai cooking places emphasis on lightly prepared dishes with strong Odor, aromatic components and a spicy edge. Australian chef David Thompson (chef), David ...

, pig's ears are used for many different dishes, amongst others in the northern Thai dish called ''chin som mok'' (fermented sliced pig's ears grilled in a banana leaf) and in ''yam hu mu'' (a

Thai salad Salads that are internationally known as Thai salads with a few exceptions fall into four main preparation methods. In Thai cuisine these are called ''yam, tam, lap'' and ''phla''. A few other dishes can also be regarded as being a salad. Overvi ...

made with sliced, boiled pig's ears).

United States cuisine

Pig's ears are a part of the

soul food Soul food is an ethnic cuisine traditionally prepared and eaten by African Americans, originating in the Southern United States.Soul Food originated with the foods that were given to enslaved Black people by their white owners on Souther ...

cuisine which originated among

African-American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...

s in the

southern United States The Southern United States (sometimes Dixie, also referred to as the Southern States, the American South, the Southland, or simply the South) is a geographic and cultural region of the United States of America. It is between the Atlantic Ocean ...

. "Pig's ears" is also a regional colloquial name for a boiled pastry. A dough similar to pie crust is rolled out and then cut into large circles (typically 3-inches in diameter). A sweet fruit filling, or a savoury cheese filling, is placed in the centre. The pastry is folded over and then sealed with the tines of a fork. The "pig's ears" are boiled until they are done. and eaten while they are warm. They can also be "finished" after boiling by baking, deep frying or pan frying; often with powdered sugar sprinkled over them.

Livermush Livermush is a Southern United States pork food product prepared using pig liver, parts of pig heads, cornmeal and spices. It is a regional cuisine that is common in Western North Carolina, and is typically consumed as a breakfast and lunch food. ...

is a pork product that is common in

Western North Carolina Western North Carolina (often abbreviated as WNC) is the region of North Carolina which includes the Appalachian Mountains; it is often known geographically as the state's Mountain Region. It contains the highest mountains in the Eastern United S ...

prepared using pig livers, pig's ears and snouts, cornmeal and spices.Poteat, Bill (18 August 2018)
"Livermush victim of hateful prejudice"
''

The Gaston Gazette ''The Gaston Gazette'' is an American, English-language daily newspaper based in Gastonia, North Carolina. The newspaper was owned by Freedom Communications until 2012, when Freedom sold its Florida and North Carolina papers to Halifax Media Grou ...

''.

Vietnamese cuisine

Vietnamese cuisine Vietnamese cuisine encompasses the foods and beverages of Vietnam. Meals feature a combination of five fundamental tastes ( vi, ngũ vị, links=no, label=none): sweet, salty, bitter, sour, and spicy. The distinctive nature of each dish reflec ...

, pig's ear is thinly sliced and mixed with roasted, finely-ground rice flour. It can either be eaten on its own or wrapped with herbs in rice paper, served with Vietnamese dipping sauce.

Dog treats

In some countries, pig's ears are used as

dog treats Dog food is food specifically formulated and intended for consumption by dogs and other related canines. Dogs are considered to be omnivores with a carnivorous bias. They have the sharp, pointed teeth and shorter gastrointestinal tracts of c ...

and are commonly available from

pet shops A pet shop or pet store is a retail business which sells animals and pet care resources to the public. A variety of animal supplies and pet accessories are also sold in pet shops. The products sold include: food, treats, toys, collars, leashes, c ...

References

External links

Okinawan regional cooking

How About Some Pickled Pig’s Ear or Goat Soup?
{{Cantonese cuisine Pork dishes Offal Cuisine of the Southern United States Cantonese cuisine Japanese cuisine Okinawan cuisine Philippine cuisine Spanish cuisine Portuguese cuisine Lithuanian cuisine Bulgarian cuisine Thai cuisine Vietnamese cuisine Soul food