Pork rind
Pork rinds are a snack food made from deep-fried chunks of pork fat, sometimes with skin still attached, often seasoned with chili pepper or barbecue flavoring. Poorer quality pork rinds may even still contain some hog bristles. They are popular in the Southern United States as well as in Mexico where they are known as chicharrones. In Britain they are known as pork scratchings, and in France as grattons. Pork rinds are also produced in Spain.
Microwaveable pork rinds are also sold which pop like popcorn and can be eaten still warm.
There is some additional current interest in the use of pork rinds as part of the Atkins diet, since pork rinds are purely an animal product and contain no carbohydrates.
Unfried pork rind is also processed into colorful and appealing shapes for use as fish bait.
