Sucking pig

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This article can apply to the broader pig genus. For the most familiar species, see domestic pig.

Sucking pig is a young pig that has only fed on its mother's milk. The term suckling pig is often used, but is technically incorrect. A mother pig suckles her young; the young suck from her. Hence, the young are sucking pigs. The piglet is killed between the ages of two to six weeks and traditionally roasted. Usually reserved for special occasions, it is a popular dish in many Asian cultures in particular Chinese, and Filipinos while the European cultures of Spain, Portugual, Germany and Croatia favor it highly as well. However, sucking pig's popularity has declined in the United States and the United Kingdom. The flesh of the sucking pig is pale and tender and the skin is crispy and highly valued as pork rinds. The texture of the meat is somewhat gelatinous due to the amount of collagen in the young pig. There are many recipes found for sucking pig from both the ancient world e.g., ancient Rome, China to the present day spanning cultures and centuries.

[edit] Cochon de lait festival

"Cochon de Lait" is also the name given to a festival common in Southern Louisiana state, particularly in the more Cajun areas. As its name implies, during this festival, suckling pigs may be roasted.

The object of this festival is to use the entire pig, although some just cook what is edible and dispose of the rest. Some common items that are made from the pig at the festival are cracklin, and soap, made from the bones of the pig.