So, what is the history?

The consensus of opinion is that they originated in the West Midlands or Black Country in the UK. The Black Country is named after its roots in the industrial revolution and continuing role as a centre of heavy engineering and mining which in days gone by was said to cover the area in grime and soot.

It would seem that Pork Scratchings were very much a food of the working classes with origins back in the 1800's when it was produced as part of the tradition of families keeping their own pig at home and feeding it up for slaughter.

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Pork rinds used to be a very common food in Vietnam before the Doi moi program in 1986. Due to various economic difficulties in the pre-Doi moi era, cooking oil and meat were still considered "luxury goods", and consequently fat liquid and pork rind became excellent replacements in Vietnamese daily meals. Nowadays with a better economic situation for the country, pork rind is no longer a substitute food, but rather a special component in many Vietnamese dishes, such as cơm tấm, noodle and snails (bún ốc), noodle soup, etc. In Vietnamese, pork rind is called tóp mỡ, which translates to "dried piece of fat".