“Come to China! Our Pork Is Cheaper Than Your Dog Food!”
When a Korean YouTuber whined about “not affording samgyeopsal (pork belly),” Chinese netizens flooded the comments with supermarket price tags:
“Hind leg meat: 12.3 RMB/jin (≈$1.7/kg)! Even my dog eats ribs twice a week!”7
California-based TikToker @Jenny_Lin fired back with a $6.99/lb pork loin label: “Y’all eat braised pork daily, while we’re stuck with Beyond Burgers!” A Beijing foodie clapped back:
“Try Northeastern-style pork with pickled cabbage—cheap, hearty, and zero guilt!”
I. Pork Prices: A Rollercoaster of “Chinese Magical Realism”
China’s pork market is wilder than Game of Thrones. In March 2025, live hog prices plunged to 14.6 RMB/kg (≈$2/kg)1, prompting butchers to joke:
“Pig farmers earn less than cabbage sellers now!”
But don’t assume Chinese have unlimited “pork freedom.” Post-Spring Festival, Beijing’s wholesale prices nosedived from 22.5 RMB/kg to 17 RMB/kg. Vendors groaned:
“We’re losing money on 2,000 hogs—worse than a stock market crash!”7
The government played its trump card: 10,000 tons of state-frozen pork flooded the market. Netizens quipped:
“This isn’t a policy—it’s a Black Friday sale on steroids!”2
II. Meat Frequency: From “Cherry Freedom” to “Rib Anxiety”
Behind online bravado lies meticulous budgeting. While Chinese consume 122kg of meat annually (25kg less than Americans), they eat twice as much seafood9.
Shanghai office worker @DeerBambi shared her meal log:
- Monday: Pork stir-fry (200g, ¥8)
- Wednesday: Beef stew (300g, ¥45)
- Friday: Sichuan fish (1 whole fish, ¥30)
Caption: “Even a $2,800 monthly salary can’t handle beef—it’s a luxury! Pork is life.”
This sparked a north-south feud. Northeasterner @IronPot boasted:
“We eat pork noodles thrice a week for under ¥100! Southerners are just picky!” A Cantonese foodie retorted:
“One dim sum platter costs ¥28—enough for 2kg ribs! Who’s the real money-waster?”
III. US-China Reality Check: “Paycheck-to-Paycheck” vs. “Savings Ninjas”
The cross-Pacific roast exposed two truths:
- US Poor Eat Meat, Chinese Poor Eat Veggies
- Low-income Americans binge on $1 fried chicken, fueling a 31% obesity rate6
- Chinese workers survive on ¥5 breakfasts but devour 440kg veggies/year (6x the US!)9
- Healthcare vs. Pork: Which Bill Hurts More?
- Texan @John complained: “$2,000 for a tooth extraction buys 300lbs of pork!”
- Chinese countered: “Our insurance covers 80%, but a 10% pork hike trends for days!”3
Sichuan farmer @OldChen dropped the mic:
“Prices may fall, but my smoked sausages stay! Cost? Just ¥15/jin—cry about it, America!”7
