HONG KONG, Aug. 3, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- When we mention the name 'Iberico', people normally think of Spanish Iberico pigs, Japanese Okinawa black pork, or even South Korean Jeju pork. But in addition to these high-quality imported breeds, there is a wide range of choices when it comes to local breeds of high-quality pork.
Hong Kong Heritage Pork: John Lau Hon Kit's new innovative breed, the "Tai Chi Pig"
To suit the tastes of Hong Kong people, John Lau Hon Kit of 'Hong Kong Heritage Pork' devoted his time to studying what gave Berkshire pigs their fattiness, Landrace pigs their leanness, and Duroc pigs for their fresh-looking colour. Through trial and error, he has recently managed to combine the best traits of each type of pig and breed a new variety that perfectly suits the tastes of Hong Kong people – the Tai Chi Pig.
John Lau Hon Kit first bred the Danish Landrace pig and Spanish Duroc pig breeds before introducing the Berkshire pig breed into the mix. Pork plays a huge part in Hong Kong cuisine, and after much effort, he finally came to a specific and unique breed that satisfied the unique tastes and requirements of Hong Kong people. John Lau Hon Kit says that the Tai Chi Pig from Hong Kong Heritage Pork perfectly combines the fattiness and leanness of their parent breeds to create a unique marbled texture. Without being too fatty, the meat is still oily enough to be suitable for a wide range of cooking methods like frying, boiling, braising, stewing, steaming, banking, and adding to soups.
John Lau Hon Kit firmly believes that he can help generate a more positive reputation for locally raised pigs, and that local pig farmers can seize a greater market share in Hong Kong through high-quality pork. In doing so, more sustainable, locally sourced, fresh, and better tasting pork can supply the majority of the Hong Kong market.
In order for the Hong Kong market to have access to fresh, delicious, and safe local Iberico pig breeds, John Lau Hon Kit needed to initially use top-quality pig breeds imported from overseas. The breeding process needs to be meticulous in order to achieve hormone-free and high-quality pork that has the right characteristics. The pig's feed plays an integral role in the process. John Lau Hon Kit noted that for Hong Kong Heritage Pork, a mixture of carefully selected American premium corn and soybeans is used to guarantee natural nutritional values. This mixture has also been adapted to the needs of pigs growing in Hong Kong's climate and has been devised with professional advice from a Danish veterinarian. Hong Kong Heritage Pork also makes use of the first feeding machine to be imported into Hong Kong from Denmark. The quantity of feed is precisely controlled through a centralised computer system, and the EU-certified feed is given at set times to ensure the pigs can eat well. Similarly, water from mountain springs near Hong Kong Heritage Pork's farm is filtered before being given to the pigs. Fresher feed and mineral-rich water directly impact the quality of pork supplied.
Founded by John Lau Hon Kit, Hong Kong Heritage Pork is one of the few Hong Kong pork brands that manage and maintain their own farms. In doing so, the quality of pork can be closely controlled and easily tested, meaning the pork supplied to the Hong Kong market is of a much higher quality. To this day, John Lau Hon Kit spends his time exploring a wide range of different possibilities and solutions that can improve the supply of high-quality and good tasting pork to the Hong Kong market.
For more information about John Lau Hon Kit and Hong Kong Heritage Pork, please visit www.hkpork.com.
