In the UK, Pork Scratchings have been around for years and are a popular snack and bars and pubs around the country. The combination of soft fat, crispy crunch and the saltiness of the flavourings, combined with the taste like bacon (Mmmmm, bacon!) are an almost irresistible combination after a few pints.

Everyone knows they’re not the healthiest snack in the world but boy do they go down well. Eating them in copious amounts alongside 5 or 6 pints of beer is probably not the best weight loss strategy.

But what about when you’re out hiking? What about when you’re using and needing to replenish a lot of energy, plus get your protein in a manageable chunk? It’s fair to say that pork scratchings become a lot more sensible an option in these circumstances.

They’re light. They contain a lot of calories in a small space. They don’t get spoiled by being lobbed in a backpack. They are high in protein.

ScratchingsSalted nutsCashewsRaisins
Typical valuesPer 100gPer 100gPer 100gPer 100g
Energy2557kJ2543kJ2577kJ1351kJ
615kcal614kcal622kcal319kcal
Fat46.2g51g51g1.4g
of which saturates16.4g8.1g10g<0.1g
Carbohydrate0.2g5.6g19g72g
of which sugars0.1g5.1g5.6g70g
Fibre8.5g3.2g4.1g
Protein49.7g30g21g2.5g
Salt3.0g1.3g0.70g0.02g

The major downside is the amount of salt that’s likely to make you thirsty, although there are lower salt varieties available. In a situation of high energy usage pork scratchings are a valuable addition to a balanced set of trail snacks. I would never replace all of my nuts and dried fruit with them, but they certainly have a place in the hiking backpack.

You can buy wholesale pork crackling and pork scratchings from Snack Brands in the UK.