Saturday 16 April 2011

Pigging out

To some, they’re the ideal pub snack, tasty, crunchy, savoury, salty and home-produced in the West Midlands from our most versatile farm animal. To others, they’re disgusting chunks of pure fat that make your gorge rise. Yes, they’re pork scratchings.

I initially contemplated doing a poll on which of the usual range of pub snacks people liked eating, but decided that would be a bit dull, and it would be better to ask what you thought of the King of Snacks. There were 56 responses, and the result was a decisive 3 to 1:

Yum: 42 (75%)
Yeuk: 14 (25%)

Interesting how they often now feel the need to have a disclaimer: “Only suitable for those with strong healthy teeth.” In my experience, the best ones are those you find in clear plastic bags with only minimal information about who made them.

And a quick Google search reveals that scratchings have a website dedicated to them. Despite their reputation as being loaded with fat, it’s worth remembering that, unlike crisps and nuts, scratchings contain no carbohydrates whatsoever.

7 comments:

  1. No added sugar or, quite possibly, artificial colourings, either. They're very nearly a health food.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Certainly if you're doing the Atkins Diet they're a health food.

    I used to work in an office with a (very nice) Asian lady who was a strict vegetarian and couldn't conceive of anything more disgusting ;-)

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  3. I only voted 'yeuk' because there wasn't a 'yeuuchhh!!!' option.

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  4. I have to admit that I favour the pork scratching as my comestible of choice to accompany a pint

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  5. mmm the proper ones with the bristles still on,with a quarter inch of yummy salty crud you can scrape off the spikey hide with your teeth.Porky bliss.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Another site

    http://www.hairybarsnacks.com/index.php

    ReplyDelete

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