Jinhua

The Jinhua pig is a Chinese indigenous breed from the Jinhua area of Zhejiang Province and one of the best-known two-end-black pigs, with a black head and rump separated by a white middle. It is a small to medium domestic pig with drooping ears, early maturity, and a tendency to lay down fat more readily than lean commercial breeds. Its meat is strongly associated with traditional Jinhua ham, where fat quality and flavor matter as much as rapid growth.

Jinhua pigs are usually kept in specialty, small farm, research, or conservation settings rather than mainstream industrial pork units. They can be productive in modest facilities, but they still need clean pens, ventilation in humid weather, balanced feed, and protection from heat stress. Crossbreeding may improve growth or carcass leanness, yet it can also dilute traits that make the breed useful for ham and genetic conservation. For conservation herds, the two-end-black pattern is only one piece; family lines, reproductive history, and purity of breeding are also important.