Kagoshima Kurobuta: Why This Black Pork Is Famous Nationwide

Kurobuta means 'black pig' and refers specifically to the Berkshire breed, introduced to Kagoshima from Britain in the late 19th century and refined through local breeding ever since. What sets it apart is the fat: raised partly on feed that historically included sweet potato, Kagoshima's kurobuta develops fat with a notably clean, slightly sweet flavor and a lower melting point than standard pork, which is why the fat is treated as the highlight, not just the meat.

Kurobuta shows up most famously as tonkatsu, where a thick-cut, breaded pork loin is fried so the fat renders slowly and stays juicy rather than greasy, and as shabu-shabu, where paper-thin slices are swished in hot broth for seconds until the fat turns almost translucent. It's also the base for Kagoshima ramen, a pork-bone tonkotsu style that's traditionally lighter and less cloudy than the tonkotsu ramens found elsewhere in Kyushu. Because the pork itself is the selling point, dishes tend to stay simple.