Pork

Pork is the culinary name for the meat of the domestic pig, the second most commonly consumed type of meat worldwide after poultry, with evidence of pig husbandry dating back 8,000 to 9,000 years. It is eaten both freshly cooked and preserved, with curing extending the shelf life of pork products such as ham, gammon, bacon and pork sausage, and charcuterie is the branch of cooking devoted to prepared meat products, many made from pork. Pork is especially popular in the Western world, particularly Central Europe, and is also highly prized across East and Southeast Asian cuisines, especially in China, for its fat content and texture, though some religions and cultures, notably Islam and Judaism, prohibit its consumption.