Eskort-FoodForThought
111 reasons pork packs a flavour punch
Even after producing pork products for 108 years, Eskort is still finding new and delicious ways to enjoy this remarkable meat, so we weren’t surprised by a recent sensory analysis which showed that pork has no fewer than 111 unique flavour nuances, including sweet, fruity and floral tones, clove, hazelnut and mushrooms.
Lead investigator Lisbeth Ankersen of InnovaConsult, who conducted the analysis in 2024 for the National Pork Board in the US, also looked at the cooking methods that imparted the most flavour to pork, and which cuts had the most intense flavour nuances.
Ankersen’s team found that lean pork has the most intense umami flavour (meaning savouriness or meatiness) compared to other plant and animal proteins; and the juiciest and sweetest cuts include fillet cooked in an air fryer and roasted pork. Pork was also found to be high in kokumi taste sensations (kokumi is a Japanese word that translates to a feeling of ‘rich taste’ or ‘deliciousness’).
Ankersen said: ‘The flavour notes we identified in this analysis, like mushroom, walnut, coconut and clove, are what make pork so unique as a friend to all foods and a uniter of worlds of flavors together.’
Kristen Hicks-Roof, director of human nutrition for the National Pork Board, said the analysis would encourage culturally relevant recipe development. ‘Around the world, pork is a top protein choice, and we tried to illustrate this concept with our new flavour wheel,’ she said.
‘This idea goes beyond nutrition and deep into cultural and flavour experiences that honour centuries of food heritage and culinary traditions, all while pork acts as a carrier food that encourages us to eat more of the foods we know we should, like fruits and vegetables, in cuisines worldwide.’
We were delighted to see that the flavour wheel includes Africa, with recommendations for vetkoek and stew – both of which feature strongly in Eskort’s online recipe collection!
The new Pork + Plants World of Flavours Wheel, based on the findings of research published in 2024, has interactive inspiration for pairing plants with pork across heritage recipes to make sure eating healthily does not have to be boring, flavourless or lack cultural familiarity.
