One ingredient, four cultures: Pork

Recipes

Brazil 

Feijoada 

Derived from the word feijao, meaning 'beans', this hearty stew introduced by the Portuguese in the mid-1500s, bears some similarity to French cassoulet. 

Chile 

Lomito 

Chileans have a soft spot for sandwiches and on top of their list, is the lomito, dubbed the unofficial national dish. Each of these mighty sandwiches can be 10 cm tall, filled with about 250 g of hand-shaved pork loin, half an avocado, a layer of sauerkraut, and plenty of mayonnaise. 

Japan 

Tonkotsu ramen 

The stock for this famous Japanese noodle soup is made from pork bones, which are boiled for hours, breaking down the collagen, marrow and fat, unleashing a creamy, white liquid. 

England 

Pork pie 

While pork pies are mass manufactured throughout England, the Melton Mowbray pork pie from Leicestershire is distinct in that the sides bow outwards as it's baked freestanding; the meat is fresh and coarsely chopped; and natural bone jelly is added after cooking to provide texture and to fill crevices. 

Photography by John Laurie