Premium pork, raised right near Shanghai, boasts exceptional flavor

He's wearing a revealingly short yellow tank top, blue pants, an ear-to-ear smile, and he’s kicking up his legs for sheer joy—meet the Aisen pig, the dancing mascot for some of the finest pork I have ever tasted.

Aisen is raised on fine feed, in a scrupulously cleanly environment, and his meat is processed according to the highest international standards. I didn’t even know such pork existed in China, but on a recent trip to the Nanjing Dong Lu Shanghai Number One Food Market, while happily perusing an ocean of top-quality foodstuffs from Macanese miniature pork-floss cookies to frozen venison, I noticed, in a non-descript corner, a busy butcher who sells only one thing: Aisen pork. The dancing pig label smiled at me from every package. It is the only raw produce sold in the whole sprawling market. (N.B. Carrefour and other markets also stock Aisen). I ordered a half kilo of pork belly for 14 kuai, approximately 40 percent over the average price. I cradled it home: Could it really be that different?

Off to the kitchen, chop chop into neat squares, and into a blazing pan along with some fresh bamboo for a quick seal on all sides. Then, a generous lashing of dark soy and yellow wine. A half dozen star anise, slices of fresh ginger, sugar, Sichuan pepper. An hour's simmer. Finally, a tablespoon of cornstarch transforms the sauce into a handsome lacquer coating. A garnish of chopped chives. My rice was steaming hot. One bite and I was smitten. The fat was neither bouncy nor greasy, but lusciously creamy. The meat lacked gaminess or stringiness; it had a flawless even texture and elegant clean juiciness. Visions of tender stuffed chops and fragrant pork bone soup twirled in my head.

Now, if your stovetop (like a dear friend of mine's) is used instead for a storage area, or you simply must try Aisen while on the run, it’s easy enough: that ubiquitous Babi Mantou chain (haven't you ever wondered why their baozi are so much more delicately flavorful than others'?) uses only Aisen pork. Yuan Yuan (Shanghainese) is another good option. So next time you bite in, as you sigh in satisfaction, think of the yellow tank-topped dancer. Happy year of the Pig!

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