The Jeju Black () is a
Korean
Korean may refer to:
People and culture
* Koreans, ethnic group originating in the Korean Peninsula
* Korean cuisine
* Korean culture
* Korean language
**Korean alphabet, known as Hangul or Chosŏn'gŭl
**Korean dialects and the Jeju language
** ...
breed
A breed is a specific group of domestic animals having homogeneous appearance (phenotype), homogeneous behavior, and/or other characteristics that distinguish it from other organisms of the same species. In literature, there exist several slig ...
of
domestic 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 ''Su ...
. It is named for, and originates from, the large island of
Jeju-do, which lies to the south of the country in the
Korea Strait
The Korea Strait is a sea passage in East Asia between Korea and Japan, connecting the East China Sea, the Yellow Sea and the Sea of Japan in the northwest Pacific Ocean. The strait is split by the Tsushima Island into the Western Channe ...
. It is a small pig with a black skin and smooth coat of hair. It has erect, unfolded ears and a narrow snout.
Under a co-operative agreement between North and South Korea, about US$160,000 worth of equipment was shipped in 2008 from Jeju Island to North Korea to build a Jeju Black pig farm in
Pyongyang
Pyongyang (, , ) is the capital and largest city of North Korea, where it is known as the "Capital of the Revolution". Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River about upstream from its mouth on the Yellow Sea. According to the 2008 populat ...
; breeding stock was to follow when the farm was ready.
As food
Pork from the Jeju Black is said to have a unique taste, and forms the basis of some local dishes. It is
smoked
Smoking is the process of flavoring, browning, cooking, or preserving food by exposing it to smoke from burning or smoldering material, most often wood. Meat, fish, and '' lapsang souchong'' tea are often smoked.
In Europe, alder is the tra ...
over burning hay, which gives it an unusual flavour and a chewy consistency.
Until the later twentieth century, these pigs were kept to dispose of human waste. They were housed in sites built below the
outside latrines where their "food" was directly delivered. From the 1960s this practice gave way to more conventional feeding. Some believe that the change has adversely affected the flavour of the meat.
"Jeju’s black pig still tasty on the table"
''JoongAng Daily'', February 15, 2007.
See also
* List of smoked foods
This is a list of smoked foods. Smoking is the process of flavoring, cooking, or preserving food by exposing it to smoke from burning or smoldering material, most often wood. Foods have been smoked by humans throughout history. Meats and f ...
References
Pig breeds originating in Korea
Smoked meat
{{Pig-stub