If I were to ask you, which industry would be most affected by a rise in the price of pork? If I tell you that the impact on the food industry due to the price hike of pork is actually minimal, and it’s not the diners who love braised pork, but rather the vast number of beauty – conscious people. The owners of cosmetic stores would be so angry that they might cry, and those obsessed with good looks would denounce the unfairness of the world. Even the entire beauty industry would tremble. But why is this the case?

Ⅰ. The All – purpose Beauty Remedy

People in the Tang Dynasty admired fair skin and good looks, a tradition that had been passed down since the Wei and Jin dynasties. To become beautiful, all sorts of wonderful remedies emerged in an endless stream, among which an old acquaintance – the pig – was included. For people in the Tang Dynasty, especially the literati, officials, and noble ladies and other prominent figures, it wasn’t that they couldn’t afford to eat pork, but that using it for beauty was more cost – effective. A simple pig, in the hands of the Tang – Dynasty people, could not only be turned into delicious food but also became a guest of honor in various beauty remedies.

Is your skin dull and covered with black spots? It can be treated!

Is your skin rough and your lips chapped? It can be treated!

Do you have acne during puberty or sores on your back? It can also be treated!
It can be treated, all can be treated! A single precious recipe can bring benefits to countless families. Pig’s trotters, pig fat, pig offal… all of them can transform into great helpers in relieving appearance anxiety. No matter what kind of problem it is, you can find the answer in them.

In Beiji qianjin yaofang (《千金要方》) and Supplement to Beiji qianjin yaofang (《千金翼方》), Sun Simiao (孙思邈), a medical scientist in the Tang Dynasty, recorded many beauty facial medicines made from pig’s trotters as raw materials. For example, “Pig’s Trotters Soup”. When used externally, it can make the skin smooth. It is said that the pig’s trotters should be decocted together with various medicinal herbs, and then the finished product should be well preserved. Whenever you need to wash your hands or face, heat a cup of it. Using it for a long time can make the skin clean, bright and translucent. Modern medicine has also proven that pig’s trotters contain a large amount of collagen, which can make the skin tender and smooth. It can be seen that the ancients were very wise and applied pig’s trotters to the beauty industry very early. In addition, there are a large number of pig – related beauty formulas in Supplement to Essential Formulas for Emergencies (《急症要方补遗》). They can not only improve the skin but also treat various skin diseases. The dream of “being eighteen forever” will no longer be just a dream!

Are there dandruff flying around? Try the “Pig’s Trotters Paste”. Boil the pig’s trotters together with clear fermented liquid. There is no prescription that knows better than this one how to remove dead skin!

Ⅱ. Cosmetics

During the Tang Dynasty, the country was powerful and prosperous, with an abundance of goods and a wealthy population. The level of productivity far exceeded that of previous dynasties, allowing people, after solving the problems of food and clothing, to have more energy and resources to engage in other activities and improve their quality of life. However, the people of the Tang Dynasty paid great attention to their appearance and had a preference for cosmetics such as scented creams and lip balms. This was not only due to the development of productivity but also the result of the upper class setting an example that the lower classes followed.

The twelfth lunar month is a time for saying goodbye to the old and welcoming the new, and the whole country is busy preparing New Year’s goods. Receiving a gift from the emperor during this time is undoubtedly an honor. On a day in the twelfth lunar month, the emperor would bestow a special year – end bonus, which included skincare products, clothes, and sachets. Concubines, scholars of the Northern Gate, soldiers in the northwest, and the families of some ministers were all among the recipients of these rewards.

The scholars of the Northern Gate were close courtiers of the emperor. If they all appeared with plain faces and chapped mouths and noses, it would be a double torture to the emperor’s eyes and mind. Instead of struggling internally, it was better to ask the ministers to put in some effort. Therefore, this reward also carried an implicit urging, hoping that the courtiers would manage their appearances well and jointly create a healthy and pleasant working environment.

In the Tang Dynasty, it was quite common for the emperor to bestow cosmetics. The emperor could see the exquisitely dressed court officials and also receive their gratitude and flattery. This act of the emperor was truly a “win – win” situation.

For the soldiers far in the northwest, this reward carried a stronger sense of comfort. After opening up the Western Regions trade route, it became a common practice for the Tang Dynasty to station troops in the northwest. To maintain the smooth flow of the Silk Road, it was necessary to first stabilize the morale of the troops in the northwest. The northwest was full of sandstorms that lashed at soldiers’ faces like sharp knives. Coupled with the large temperature difference between day and night and the invasion of miasma, many soldiers suffered from cracked and sores – covered skin.

Regardless of how much skincare products the emperor bestowed or whether they were enough for all the soldiers, this reward at least conveyed a message: The emperor knew that their lives were tough, and the country hadn’t forgotten the soldiers’ contributions. After receiving the rewards from the imperial court, the wavering morale of the troops was calmed, and many soldiers no longer clamored to go home for the New Year. The emperor heaved a sigh of relief. With the border areas stable, he could finally enjoy a peaceful New Year. Now, another question arises. Besides the parts of the pig that could be used as medicine, such as pig fat, pig grease, and pig trotters, where did the other parts of the pig go? Did they end up in people’s stomachs? NONONO.

Ⅲ. Pig Offal

In the Tang Dynasty, pork was not a popular ingredient, especially pig offal. In the eyes of scholars, the process of raising pigs was not considered clean. Therefore, pig offal, especially the intestines and stomach of pigs, was regarded as unclean. This was not just the opinion of scholars in the Tang Dynasty. Similar views had already existed as early as the Pre – Qin period.

In The Book of Rites (《礼记》), there is a saying that “a gentleman does not eat livestock like pigs raised in pens.” In addition, during the Pre – Qin period with a strict hierarchical system, people of different classes had to abide by strict regulations regarding food, clothing, and daily expenses. The Book of Rites stated that only feudal lords were eligible to eat beef, only high – ranking officials were eligible to eat mutton, and scholars with lower status could only eat dog meat and pork. It can be seen that as early as the Pre – Qin period, the status of pork was perhaps already lower than that of beef and mutton. After all, cattle were a form of labor, and sheep could produce milk. In an era with underdeveloped productivity, they were both highly valued. Compared with them, pigs were not only easy to raise but also produced a large amount of meat, so they were more easily obtainable.

That being said, the descendants of the Chinese people, who have a love for food throughout their lives, obviously would not simply give up on pork. If the offal couldn’t be eaten, they could at least try other parts, right? So, dishes made from pork such as steamed pig’s shoulder (蒸豚肩, pig’s leg), Five – Raw Dish (五生盘, a plate of tender meat from sheep, pigs, cattle, and bears), and Braised Pork Balls in Gravy began to appear on the dining tables of the Tang – Dynasty people. Since the upper class ate pork, ordinary people certainly would not avoid it. However, compared with other types of meat, the proportion of pork was still small.

Since pig offal was considered unclean, why was it used as medicine and even applied to the face? Because traditional Chinese medicine didn’t follow such ideas. In traditional Chinese medicine, regardless of whether it’s a black cat or a white cat, as long as it can cure the disease, it’s a good cat. Look at other medicinal materials: chicken feces white, male rat feces, silkworm excrement… Compared with them, pig offal was already quite acceptable.

Summary

It was not until the Song Dynasty that pork became a regular guest on people’s dining tables. Besides the famous Dongpo Pork, there were also delicious dishes like roasted pork skin, pork jerky, and ginger – fermented soybeans. Smoking pork to make cured meat was already quite common. The people in the Song Dynasty had already done a lot of research on how to make the most of a whole pig. To put it bluntly, no pig could walk out of the Song Dynasty… alive from people’s pots.

Today, pork has become a staple ingredient in the refrigerators of many families. Whenever the Chinese New Year arrives, many rural areas still follow the custom of slaughtering pigs, using delicious food to reward themselves for a year of hard work. Thousands of years have passed in a flash. Pigs have not only become a blessing for beauty – conscious people but have also merged into the hustle and bustle of daily life, ensuring that thousands of households have no worries about food and clothing.