Jiangsu women's homes are full of 4000 pig heads. Why does the south like drying bacon in winter?

It is a bit inappropriate to use the word like. Southerners have two kinds of pig heads to do, one is to eat by themselves, and the other is to do business. This woman's house is full of 4000 pig heads, which are obviously used for business. Taking it out to dry is just for fear that the pig's head will go bad or have other problems, and it has nothing to do with whether it likes it or not. Moreover, the climate in the south is different from that in the north, and the winter in the south is not as cold as expected. Although it is not as good as summer, the temperature is also very high.

In fact, this process of drying meat and pig's head has a long history. Not only southerners can dry meat, but also some areas in the north. There is no saying that the south likes it or the north doesn't. It's just that the methods of making dried meat in some areas are different because of geographical reasons. Take the air-dried meat in Beijing as an example, it is a traditional famous dish with local characteristics, and the processing season of this famous dish is winter or spring, and the processing method is unique.

Because it is sun-dried meat, we should choose the best pork, then change the meat into strips and put them in a ventilated and cool place to "dry". When eating, pick them and wash them with warm water.

However, the method of making salted pig's head is not much different from dried meat, but the history of salted pig's head is longer. In the early years, because there was no refrigerator, this method was helpful to preserve meat and extend the shelf life of meat products. In the early years, this dish was limited to the people, and it was dried in the family. It has only been known to the public in recent years and is really famous. It is said that this dish originated from Huaiyang cuisine.

Based on its unique heating technology, bacon has the characteristics of salty and tender, crispy and delicious, excellent taste and endless aftertaste. The earliest appearance of salty pig's head was specially preserved by every household in order to prepare for the Chinese New Year. At that time, there was a jingle: "If you have money, you can castrate a salty pig head in the New Year."

With the realization of the times, people have lived in buildings, and many families used to pickle salted pig heads. However, due to the limited space, there is no way to make this kind of food, so some people found business opportunities, pickled salted pig heads in batches, and then sold them at the end of the year. It is said that the profit is very considerable.

And this woman in Jiangsu, drying 4000 salty pig heads in her yard, is actually preparing for the Spring Festival sales. You know, the pickling process of salted pig's head is very particular. In the twelfth lunar month, the salted pig's head should first be unhaired, then the dirty things on the pig's head should be removed, then the pig's head should be split, and the back of the pork should be cut with a knife to make the salt fully soak the pork. Then, all kinds of good ingredients should be smeared on the head, and then the pig's head should be marinated for 65,438+00 ~ 20 days, and then the marinated pig's head should be hung up.

So from this point of view, if people make pig heads in mid-June+February, 5438, and then marinate them for about 15 days, and now hang them outdoors to dry, it is also in line with the production process of salted pig heads, not because they like them, but because of technological needs, which is not a question of whether southerners like them or not.