When the Swine Flu began in Mexico and it was clear the virus was going to spread across the globe, the first thought I had was about how pork, the other white meat, will suffer greatly. And, true to form, human beings prove to be neurotic and illogical. Despite the news saying that eating pork is fine and perfectly safe, that one cannot get swine flu from eating pork, the demand for the meat has cratered. Imports and exports have been thrown into a near standstill and Egypt slaughtered 250,000 pigs, an astounding knee-jerk action.
But there is one exception, according the The Smart Set. Pork consumption in the Philippines has remained steady. Citizens there have treasured Lechon, the Philippine term for a pick roasted whole over open coals, as a sort of national dish for a long time, and the Swine Flu has not dented this gustatory habit. The Philippine government has done an effective job to inform citizens that one cannot get Swine Flu from eating pork; most Lechon is locally grown and not imported (even before Swine Flu, this was true); and plus, from what we hear, the pork is too good to give up.
-Nick
My Foodprint 