A pig's tale

We did… we got some pork on our fork and it is now the second favourite meat in Australia, trailing chicken and bumping beef to third. We consume around 24kg of pork per person each year, enjoying on average 9.2kg of fresh pork and approximately 15kg of processed products such as ham, bacon, pancetta and prosciutto.

We are eating ham, cheese and tomato sandwiches, roast pork with crackling and vegetables, bacon and eggs on toast, pulled pork with crisp slaw on brioche buns, caramelised pork belly, bahn mi baguettes, ramen bowls and even pork pie.

Is it television cooking shows making us more adventurous or Instagram and foodie blogs? Could it be the spread of food trucks and their exotic offerings or celebrity chefs like the Porkstars influencing our palates?

Alternatively, is it as simple as the desire for a healthier diet? A piece of pork, trimmed of fat, is as lean as skinless chicken breast. Pork contains a range of B group vitamins necessary for a healthy nervous system and is rich in thiamine (helps us metabolise carbohydrate, fat and alcohol). Pork is a great source of zinc (helps maintain healthy hormone levels and a strong immune system) and selenium (helps to fight the ageing process).

Whatever it is, pork is an incredibly adaptable meat, lending itself to recipes sure to please everyone.

Australian pork is the highest quality, safest pork in the world thanks to the strict food quality and safety requirements imposed. The responsibility starts at the farm and goes through the entire supply chain. A happy, healthy pig means delicious, healthy pork.

The finest pork in Australia will go before the judges on 4 September at the Sydney Royal Fine Food Show. This is the first time pork has been included in the competition, to be assessed on the visual (raw), aroma (cooked), tenderness, juiciness, flavour and overall liking.