I can hear the protests already. "Pork rinds?! They're not exotic and/or disgusting. They're barely even unusual! A regular, mundane snack food." But give me a chance. To certain folks, yes, this is a common edible, but to others, it's not. It is at least slightly niche. I think it qualifies for the "disgusting" part too, if you think about it. Sure, some people like the skin on a roast chicken, or turkey, or duck, but just as often the skin is removed before eating, either because of revulsion or imagined health benefits. (On that last point I did some checking, and now nutritionists seem to think that eating poultry skin is okay, as long as it's not in huge amounts, due to its high fat and caloric content.) But even when skin is eaten, it's combined with the meat underneath, not separately. So, to sum up, eating just the skin of an animal, by itself, seems a bit weird, and to many, a little off-putting. (Especially to vegetarians and vegans, I would bet!) Anyway, that's my justification. I tried the Baken-Ets brand of pork rinds/chicharrones, which is a product of the American Frito-Lay company.
Chicharrones can actually refer to a variety of food types, and these often vary depending on what part of the world you're in. Chicharrones is a Spanish word, and this dish is popular in Spain, Portugal, and countries which are former colonies of these places, such as most of Central and South America, and the Caribbean. Also the Philippines, and other parts of Southeast Asia. And, unrelatedly, China, Denmark, and Greece. Chicharrones can be made from other animals besides the pig, such as chickens, cows, and sheep. Or from other parts of the body than the skin--mainly the belly meat. Some chicharrones are deep fried and crispy, while others are fatty, meaty, rich, and buttery. Some chicharrones are served as filling within tacos and gorditas (in Mexico), some in soups, some are pickled and eaten cold, and others are fried, and then eaten as a snack, like a potato chip (or "crisp"). "Cracklings" or "crackins" are a subtype of chicharrones, as they may be made from pieces of meat, membrane produced from the process of rendering, or the skin. "Pork rinds" is an American term, and when you think about it, it's a doubly distancing expression from what it actually is, since it's really "pig skins." Nutritionally chicharrones are usually high in sodium and fat, but low in carbs. So if you're into the Atkins or Keto diets, they're not a bad option.
I'd head of the Frito-Lay company, but I didn't realize what a behemoth it is. Frito-Lay is the largest globally-distributed snack food company in the world. It boasts 29 brands, and over 55,000 employees. Some of its famous brands are Doritos, Cheetos, Fritos, Lay's, Sun Chips, Tostitos, Funyuns, and sweeter dessert foods like Cracker Jacks and cookies. And some beverages, too--more on that in a moment. As to the company's history, back in San Antonio, Texas, in 1932, Charles Elmer Doolin purchased and enjoyed some locally-made corn chips. After learning that the manufacturer was interested in selling, Doolin bought the recipe, and started selling the chips as Fritos. At the same time, over in Nashville, Tennessee, Herman W. Lay started a snack food delivery company, again after buying out a pre-existing firm. H.W. Lay & Co. was born. In 1961 the companies joined together to form Frito-Lay. And then in 1965 Frito-Lay merged with soft drink giant Pepsi Cola to make PepsiCo. Getting back to the company's popularity, their products are sold throughout all of North, Central, and South America, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. Or I guess, everywhere but Australia, Antarctica, and perhaps a few isolated Pacific islands. Or, put in another way, I challenge readers to not find at least a single Frito-Lay/PepsiCo product for sale in their home area. It won't be many of you.
Frito-Lay Baken-Ets chicharrones (pork rinds), traditional flavor: The rinds themselves were light brown, puffy, and twisted into irregular shapes. The size of each one varied quite a bit, but I'd guess the average length of one was about 2-3 inches (about 5-7.5 cm.) The texture was crunchy, but very airy. They didn't have a very strong taste. They also weren't extremely salty tasting, as I expected. Overall they weren't bad, but they weren't spectacular, either. Kind of mediocre. Therefore, when it comes to salty snacks, they weren't as good as most potato or corn chips (crisps). Maybe they're better paired with a solid dip. Oddly, I'd compare them to a typical European cookie (biscuit)--kind of bland, and not flavorful enough to make me want to try them again. To be fair, Frito-Lay does sell a hot & spicy variety of chicharrones, and a Sweet Southern barbecue flavor kind. Maybe I'll give these a whirl if I see them for sale. Obviously if this happens I'll add an update to this post.
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