The
pork rind variant is the skin of the pork after it has been seasoned and
deep-fried often to a crispy, puffy state. Other styles may be fatty or meaty, not fried as much, and sometimes attached to ribs or other bones. In Mexico, they are eaten in a
taco or with . Serving styles vary widely, including main course, side dish, filling for tortillas and other bread, the meat portion of stews, and as finger-food snacks.
Belize In
Belize, made from pork belly can be served with (onion soup). There are other variations of in Belize made from beef skin.
Bolivia is made of pork ribs seasoned with garlic, oregano and lemon. It is boiled and then cooked in its own fat, adding beer or to the pot for more flavor. Pork chicharrón is normally served only on Sundays and is eaten with , a tomato salsa, and , a type of corn (
maize). There are other variations of chicharrón made with chicken and fish.
Brazil In Brazil, it is known as . The dish may be seasoned with garlic, pepper, and/or other spices. It is cooked in its own fat or oil; the finished product is typically complemented with a wedge of lime.
Canada is a traditional
Quebec dish consisting of deep-fried
salted fatback. It is generally served in
cabanes à sucre (sugar shacks) in spring time, as a "palate cleanser" between maple syrup-laden foods.
Chile are made of fat, sometimes with a bit of meat, and are typically served with homemade bread.
Colombia is made from deep-fried pig skin with meat attached, but it can also be made from chicken skin. In the
Caribbean coast, it is eaten along with , or boiled yuca at breakfast at home or at any time of the day at restaurants. It is eaten chopped as a stuffing in . In
Córdoba, it is also prepared in . It is also part of , a typical dish of Antioquia.
Costa Rica are made by frying pork (usually ribs) in fat, and are associated with several dishes. Most Costa Ricans eat them with or
lime juice and fried yuca, accompanied by tortillas. They are also a main ingredient in a popular dish called , which also combines red beans, rice, and .
Trinidad and Tobago is usually eaten with
tostones. It is prepared by washing and drying pork and cutting it into small pieces, which are seasoned with a mix of lemon juice and salt.
El Salvador are often filled with chopped as a stuffing.
Guam The dish is known in the local
Chamorro language as , derived from the food's Spanish name.
Guatemala is eaten with tortillas, lime, guacamole, and
moronga sausage, and sometimes served with
pico de gallo or
Chirmol salsa. Also known as '
in Guatemala, these refer to a meatier part of the pork rind. Where a is, strictly speaking, skin and fat, ' denotes skin with some meat as well. (In other places,
carnitas generally refers to fried pork meat without skin or a stew-like dish made from it.)
Mexico Besides made from pig skin and fat, snack-food companies
Barcel and
Sabritas have commercialized vegetarian versions (primarily made of puffed
cornmeal batter) with
chile and
lemon flavorings since the 1980s. are also distributed by many salty snack companies in Mexico, sold in supermarkets, and made and sold by markets, , and street vendors. ( wrapped in a tortilla with some
avocado, creamy cheese (such as , , or ), and sometimes, hot sauce) are popular as snacks, appetizers, or a main dish. Popular dishes that make use of as a main ingredient include and . The North Mexico version is made with fried pork belly (and has more meat, compared to the South Mexico version), and is more based on Spanish .
Peru of
Peru in Peru is made using what is called "country-style pork rib" in the United States. The rind (skin and attached fat) is not used at all; instead, the meat is boiled with seasonings and spices until no water remains and then fried in its own fat. It is often served as a breakfast or brunch food on a baguette with a relish made from red onion and lime juice. can be eaten as an
appetizer or snack, and the chicken variant can taste like fried chicken found in the United States. Side dishes include a kind of
red onion relish, fried
yuca, and other regional variants. can also be prepared with fish rather than pork.
Philippines , including pork rind, chicken intestine, pork
offal, and
tuna skin '' from
Ilocos Norte,
Philippines from the Philippines, made with mushroom, potato, carrot, and
tapioca starch , less commonly spelled or , is ubiquitous, as it is a well-loved snack, and may be bought anywhere, from large supermarket chains to small neighborhood
stores and street vendors. It is popular as or
tapas which are foods to be eaten while consuming alcoholic beverages such as
beer. It is also used as a topping on many native vegetable and noodle dishes. Pork is prepared by deep-frying dried pork rind with a little salt. It may be dipped in coconut vinegar spiced with
soy sauce, chopped garlic and chili peppers, or eaten with other condiments like anchovies,
gravy sauce, or papaya salad. Aside from pork rind, chicken skin may also be made into , whereas —literally 'flower chicharrón', named for its distinctive shape—is made from pork mesentery. Tuna-skin is marketed as a healthier variation. In
Cagayan,
water buffalo hide is used to make . A distinct variant of involves cooking pork loin and meat in the same way, becoming . While similar and dissimilar to
crispy, it is more popular as a meal than finger food, and has found its way to contemporary dishes and restaurants. Bagnet originates from Ilocos where it has been served since the 1960s. Fully
vegan versions of are also made in the Philippines using deep-fried
tofu skin, mushrooms,
seaweed, starch, and other plant-based ingredients. Commercial
chips like
Chicharron ni Mang Juan and ''Marty's Cracklin''' are also
vegan, with the exception of a few flavors.
Puerto Rico is a popular dish in which green
plantains,
cassava, or
breadfruit are fried then mashed with and other ingredients. is found in Puerto Rican , using a
pork chop () with rib, fat, and skin still attached, then
marinated. is deep-fried, forming of crispy skin attached to the rib and pork-chop meat. The city of
Bayamón – nicknamed the "city of " – is famous for the produced locally, as is the Guavate barrio in the city of
Cayey. is a popular ingredient in Puerto Rican
rice with added
sofrito,
pigeon peas, spices and other ingredients.
Rusiao de yuca like pasteles are made from grated cassava that has been dehydrated, toasted, then notably rehydrated with coconut milk into
masa and seasoned with anise, mashed or finely chopped
chicharrón,
oregano among other ingredients. They are then wrapped in banana leaf and grilled.
Serbia In Serbia, they are called . Usually made during the slaughter of pigs for the winter. Usually cooked with milk and lard to give them a nice gold color after they have been pressed through a pressure sift to make them have the texture of chips.
United States US-style
pork rinds are usually made from pig skin and fat without meat. They are commonly seasoned and sold in plastic bags, like corn and
potato chips as a "
junk food" item. Some brands in the
Southwest use the Spanish term , and Mexican-style dishes are available in many Mexican and Southwestern restaurants in the region. In the
Deep South, traditional home-cooked pork rinds are called
cracklings or (colloquially)
cracklins. They are made in a two-step process: the pork skin is first rendered and dried, and then fried and puffed. In
New Mexico, the term is often taken to mean just fried pork fat, sometimes with incidental bits of lean meat. Similar to the Mexican , its use in
New Mexican cuisine is most commonly in bean burritos with chopped
New Mexico chile. It is colloquially prepared by frying in a , a
wok-like pan made from a repurposed tractor disc blade.
Uruguay are a byproduct of
tallow making in Uruguay. Usually extracted from the softest fat of the cow located on the kidneys, this fat is known as
grasa de pella. The
pella is heated until melt and the solid residue are the
chicharrones.
Chicharrones are traditionally used as additive for a typical bread called
rosca de chicharrones.
Venezuela In central Venezuela, are eaten with and also commonly sold alongside main highways as snacks. The recipe usually produces crispy sizable portions of pork skin with the underlying meat. The type are also made with pork skin and marinated in vinegar instead of deep fried. They are eaten as a snack.
Other countries Pork rind is also eaten in many other countries in forms unrelated to the tradition. For example, in
Denmark, is pork skin deep-fried with or without a layer of fat. It is usually eaten as a snack, like crisps (chips) or popcorn. At Christmas-time it is also traditional to eat fried strips of pork belly the skin on, with or without meat in addition to fat. In the countryside in Greece, during Christmas time people prepare
tsigarídes which is deep fried pork belly skin. In the United Kingdom, pork rinds are called
pork scratchings. They are a popular snack sold in pubs and bars, packaged in small plastic bags like potato crisps. ==Similar foods==