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When buying meat, should you choose male or female pigs?

Is the gender of a pig relevant or does it affect the quality of the meat? When buying pork, should one choose a male or female pig to have a more delicious dish?

Administrator

8 March, 2024

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Pork is one of the most common ingredients in Vietnamese households because it is affordable, suitable for the taste of most people, and can be cooked in various styles, both European and Asian.

When buying pork, choosing between male and female pigs is a dilemma for many people. Is there any difference in quality between these two types of meat?

Should you buy meat from a male or female pig?

According to Sohu, there are differences in nutrition and taste between meat from male and female pigs.

The nutritional composition and ratio of each substance in the meat from male and female pigs are very similar, but meat from male pigs is considered better. The reason is that meat from female pigs contains immune globulin, which, if consumed for a long time, can be harmful to human health.

Especially, before and after giving birth, the amount of this substance is particularly high in female pigs, which, although not dangerous to the body, still has a negative impact.

When buying pork, should you choose meat from male or female pigs? (Photo: Peacebreeze)

In terms of taste, it can be affirmed that the taste of meat from male pigs is better than that of female pigs because female pigs are less active. Especially, with female pigs that have given birth to multiple litters, the meat is not firm but rather flabby, no matter how it is cooked, it is still less delicious.

Male pigs are more active, so their meat is more firm. You can cook many dishes from meat from male pigs, and all of them are fragrant, delicious, and tempting.

How to differentiate between clean pork and pork for weight gain

You can differentiate based on the following signs:

Observe the skin and fat: In general, the skin of “homegrown pork” will be whiter and shinier than industrially raised pork. Traditionally raised pork usually has a layer of fat that is 2 – 3 cm thick, more fat and less lean meat. The layer of fat and the lean meat are tightly attached to each other, and the skin is thick. Industrially raised pork has very little fat and thin skin.

Feel the stickiness: When pressing the meat with your finger, you will feel that traditionally raised pork is more sticky and the meat is more firm. On the other hand, pork for weight gain usually has low stickiness, and the meat is also looser and softer.

There are differences in terms of nutrition and taste between male and female pig meat. (Photo: Meatworks)

To recognize these differences, consumers must have a keen perception, and this ability will increase with experience. The more you go to the market, the better you will become at differentiating between clean pork and pork for weight gain.

After buying the meat, you may also realize that you have made a mistake during the cooking process because pork for weight gain will release a lot of water when roasted, stir-fried, and the meat will be looser and the scent will not be distinct. On the other hand, clean meat will release very little water, exuding a deliciously fragrant aroma, and the meat will be chewy and flavorful.

Signs to identify diseased pork

Pigs infected with worms: The simplest way to detect pork with worms is to cut the meat lengthwise and observe the meat surface. If you see large white spots like the size of a sewing pinhead or fiber-shaped meat, oval-shaped meat, these are signs that the pig is infected with worms. These spots usually appear in meat areas with fatty tissue such as shoulder meat, biceps meat, thigh meat, etc.

Hepatitis-infected pork: The meat has a yellowish tinge.

According to VTC news

Frequently asked questions

Meat from male pigs is generally considered better in terms of taste and texture. Female pigs are less active, and their meat can be flabby, especially if they have given birth multiple times. Male pigs yield firmer meat that is more suitable for a variety of dishes.

Clean pork and pork for weight gain have distinct characteristics. Clean pork will have whiter, shinier skin and less fat. When pressed, it feels sticky and firm. Pork for weight gain has lower stickiness, looser and softer meat, and releases more water during cooking.

To identify pork infected with worms, cut the meat lengthwise and observe the surface. Large white spots or fiber/oval-shaped meat indicate worm infection. For hepatitis-infected pork, the meat will have a yellowish tinge.