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Published on July 4, 2007

If you like Japanese food and don't mind paying a little more to savour Waygu or Angus beef served teppanyaki style, then chances are you'll be entranced by the sweet and delicate taste of Kurobuta pork.

Kurobuta pork is not new to Thailand but unlike the more expensive cuts of imported beef, which are now available in a wide range of Japanese restaurants, this delicacy still tends to be found only in the pricey establishments in the Sukhumvit area.

Kurobuta, Japanese for black hog, is the most highly prized pork in Japan with a history that dates back almost 300 years.

Legend has it that the English Berkshire hog was discovered in the 17th century by Oliver Cromwell's army at their winter quarters in Reading, the county seat of the shire of Berks in England.

Picked out for its tremendous eating quality, the Berkshire breed was refined in the early 1800s and has remained pure ever since. Years later, the British government gave the Berkshire hogs to the Japanese as a diplomatic gift.

This highly prized pork is gaining popularity in the gourmet world. The meat itself, already of superior quality, is enhanced by a careful nurturing of the hogs which matches that of the cattle raised for Kobe beef.

The most famous Kurobuta pork comes from Kagoshima at the southwest tip of the Kyushu.

"Pork will pick up the flavour of the pig's food: If the pigs eat grain, then the meat will have a grain flavour," says Prasert Pornprachachai, food and beverage manager of Siam City Hotel Bangkok and the man behind the introduction of Kurobuta pork to the menu of the hotel's Kamon Japanese restaurant menu from this month onwards.

"But the pigs raised in Kagoshima, which is an agriculture area well known for sweet potatoes, are feed with sweet potatoes, so the meat is sweet and tender."

The richness of the Kurobuta is reflected in the colour, which is slightly darker than ordinary pork.

Kurobuta pork isn't something to be eaten daily, but it is worth the extra expense for special occasions.

"I can't tell the difference between fresh premium pork and regular pork just by looking at it," says Tanawat, the tepanyaki chef at Kamon restaurant, "but I've noted that this Kurobuta pork doesn't need to be matured".

Kurobuta pork can be cooked in several ways, just like regular pork, but the best way to enjoy the taste is with shabu shabu or teppanyaki.  The short cooking time allows diners to experience the full taste meat without the flavour being masked.

Kamon Japanese Restaurant and Steakhouse at Siam City Hotel Bangkok now offers Kurobuta pork menus along with regular pork. Try it teriyaki, tonkatsu, teppanyaki, shabu shabu, or sukiyaki served with chillies and sweet basil. Call (02) 247 0123 ext 1822 for reservations.

Juthamas Cholthavornpong

The Nation