Suckling pig

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For the most familiar species, see domestic pig.

Suckling pig (or sucking pig^[1]) is a young pig that has only fed on its mother's milk. 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 in Chinese, and Filipino cuisine. The European cuisines of Spain, Portugual, Germany and Croatia favor it highly as well. However, the suckling pig's popularity has declined in the United States and the United Kingdom. The flesh of the suckling 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 suckling 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, sucking 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.

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[edit] Notes

^ It has suggested that the term "suckling (young)" is erroneous since it is the mother pig that suckles the young, and that the young are those who suck the mother (see Davidson pg 761). However, this does not take into account that "suckling" might just as well be the noun "suckling" rather than the gerund form of the verb "suckle".