Pigs, Pork, and Ham: The Practice of Pig-Farming and the Consumption of Pork in Ming-Qing China

This dissertation explores pig-husbandry and pork-consumption practices in Ming-Qing China and focuses on the cured pork known as Jinhua Ham. By examining the evolution of pig-feeding practices through agricultural treatises and other food texts, I explore the simple pig-feeding practices of ancient China, the subsequent expansion of pig farming as the Chinese economy and agriculture expanded from northern China to central China, the shift of pork consumption from a medical orientation to a gastronomic orientation, the gradual substitution of omnivorous and foraging pigs for herbivorous and grazing lambs, and the emergence of pig-based commerce in the early modern era. Throughout these historical stages, pig-husbandry practices matured, permitting an expansion of pork surpluses, which were preserved according to specific curing techniques. Borrowing the concept of terroir, I argue that "localized technical skills" emerged in China's Jinhua area, where meat curers applied diverse preparatory methods to specific types of pig in combination with specific ingredients (salt, orchids, and pine tree leaves). Eventually, a reputable cued meat emerged: Jinhua Ham. By the Ming-Qing era, Chinese literati were increasingly producing culinary texts as demand for good-tasting pork dishes grew significantly. In this regard, I argue that literati played a critical role in the daily-life production and consumption of Jinhua Ham---a meat that went from being an unknown and localized cured meat to a cross-regional ham product and national brand.