Meat
Meishan
A tier
Meishan is a highly prolific Chinese Taihu-type pig from the lower Yangtze region, known for early sexual maturity, large litters, wrinkled black skin, and a fat, slow-growing carcass. Muscle is heavily infiltrated with fat; growth rate and lean yield are low by Western commercial standards, but maternal performance and meat juiciness are exceptional. Culinary tradition in China values Meishan and related Taihu pork for braising, red-cooking, and dishes that celebrate soft fat and rich flavour. Outside China, Meishan genetics are used mainly in research and crossbreeding for prolificacy, with purebred meat appearing in specialty and heritage contexts rather than commodity supply.
Also known as: Meishan, Taihu Meishan type, Meishan research and specialty pork, Meishan experimental and crossbred stock
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History
Fat, prolific black pigs of the Taihu Lake basin supported intensive wet-rice farming communities in Jiangsu and Zhejiang.
Regional Meishan type was recognised within the broader Taihu pig group for litter size and early maturity.
Live Meishan pigs were imported to the United States for scientific study of prolificacy and reproductive biology.
European research herds imported Meishan genetics to improve sow productivity in experimental crosses.
Conservation and purebred programmes protected Meishan as lean commercial imports expanded in China.
Specialty and crossbred interest in Meishan flavour and maternal traits continued in research and niche farms.