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In Trinidad and Tobago, Christmas is synonymous with pork. It is used in our pastelles, baked or roasted, soaked in brine to make garlic pork and of course we can’t forget our trini style ham. Yes, it is so popular that even Scrunter, our local Parang Soca King, had to sing about it.
*singing….Ah want ah piece ah pork, Ah want ah piece ah pork for meh Christmas…..*
But how did this tradition come about? I honestly do not know. It probably came from the European influence in the country, but as usual everything gets lost in time and is further integrated and synthesized into our Callaloo of a society.
One thing though remains sure; when the Christmas season is here, look out for pork.
With…
View Full Recipe at Simply Trini Cooking
%20lamps%20and%20flambeaux%20to%20light%20their%20houses%E2%80%A6%E2%80%A6%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EPork:%20A%20Trini%20Christmas%20Tradition%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EMost%20people%20in%20the%20countryside%20or%20their%20neighbour%20had%20a%20pig%20pen%20to%20%E2%80%9Cmine%E2%80%9D%20pigs%20for%20Christmas.%20This%20was%20either%20as%20a%20side%20business%20for%20the%20coming%20months%20or%20as%20a%20way%20to%20provide%20for%20your%20family%20in%20the%20season%20of%20plenty%20and%20Christmas%20cheer.%20Back%20then%20the%20pigs%20were%20fed%20scraps%20from%20the%20kitchen%20and%20everything%20else%20in%20between%E2%80%A6.%20from%20left%20over%20food%20to%20scraps%20like%20green%20banana%20skins,%20grass%20and%20pieces%20of%20discarded%20provision.%20As%20early%20as%20June/%20July%20the%20animals%20would%20be%20reared%20and%20cared%20for%20until%20December;%20just%20in%20time%20for%20Christmas.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EBy%20then,%20the%20animals%20would%20have%20put%20on%20a%20considerable%20amount%20of%20weight%20and%20were%20ready%20to%20be%20slaughtered.%20For%20some%20this%20would%20have%20been%20a%20task%20depending%20on%20the%20amount%20of%20pigs%20to%20be%20slaughtered%20and%20would%20require%20assistance%20from%20neighbours%20and%20friends.%20So%20this%20was%20a%20time%20to%20socialise%20with%20your%20%E2%80%9Ccomp%C3%A8re%E2%80%9D%20and%20your%20neighbours%20while%20the%20work%20was%20going%20on.%20And%20of%20course%20it%20was%20a%20time%20for%20sharing%20as%20well%E2%80%A6.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ESo%20it%20was%205lbs%20for%20tanty;%20a%20piece%20by%20de%20belly%20for%20she%20to%20make%20she%20pastelle,%20a%20piece%20for%20meh%20cousin%20because%20he%20does%20handle%20meh%20with%20%E2%80%98gouti,%20deer%20and%20lappe%20when%20he%20hunt;%2025lbs%20by%20de%20front%20shoulder%20for%20Boysie%20down%20de%20road%20who%20have%20de%20shop,%2010%20pounds%20%20%20ah%20ribs%20for%20meh%20brother%20and%2015lbs%20for%20Fong%20Sook%20who%20used%20to%20gi%E2%80%99%20meh%20some%20stale%20bread%20an%E2%80%99%20ting%20from%20de%20bakery,%20and%20de%20rest%20ah%20go%20share%20up%20with%20meh%20in%20laws%20and%20meh%20family.%20Oh,%20and%20ah%20have%20to%20save%20some%20blood%20to%20make%20black%20pudding%E2%80%A6%E2%80%A6%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EEveryone%20in%20the%20village%20came%20together%20during%20Christmas%20time%20and%20really%20enjoyed%20themselves.%20The%20community%20was%20strengthened%20by%20this%20simple%20tradition%20and%20many%20others%20like%20it.%20And,%20it%20would%20pass%20on%20through%20the%20generations%E2%80%A6.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EThis%20has%20been%20the%20tradition%20for%20many%20hundreds%20of%20years%20here%20in%20Trinidad%20and%20Tobago%20and%20today%20it%E2%80%99s%20still%20being%20carried%20on%20in%20the%20countryside%20villages%20for%20a%20profit%20or,%20just%20as%20in%20the%20days%20gone%20by,%20to%20share%20with%20family%20and%20friends.%20It%20is%20with%20this%20spirit%20that%20I%20was%20led%20to%20do%20this%20post%20and%20of%20course%20I%E2%80%99m%20always%20up%20for%20a%20good%20lime%20lol!!%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ESo%20off%20I%20went%20to%20the%20countryside%20by%20my%20aunt%20who%20had%20a%20few%20pigs%20to%20slaughter%20for%20Christmas.%20%20Experience%20is%20still%20the%20greatest%20teacher%20and%20I%20really%20had%20a%20memorable%20time%20watching%20my%20cousins%20and%20their%20friends%20slaughtering%20the%20pigs%20in%20the%20backyard%20that%20definitely%20throws%20back%20to%20our%20long%20tradition%20for%20Christmas.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ESo,%20here%20I%20was%20in%20the%20midst%20of%20all%20that%20was%20happening%20on%20this%20day.%20Armed%20with%20camera%20in%20hand,%20I%20was%20there%20to%20capture%20the%20action.%20As%20usual,%20there%20was%20lots%20of%20help%20and%20of%20course%20lots%20to%20eat.%20But%20we%E2%80%99ll%20get%20to%20that%20part%20later.%20First%20we%20have%20to%20work%20and%20that%20means%20we%20have%20a%20few%20pigs%20to%20kill.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EHow%20was%20the%20pig%20killed?First%20the%20pig%20would%20be%20strung%20up%20by%20its%20hind%20legs%20and%20the%20underside%20washed.%20To%20prevent%20much%20noise%20from%20the%20pig%20the%20mouth%20would%20also%20be%20tied%20with%20wire.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EThe%20butcher%20then%20uses%20the%20long%20knife%20to%20make%20an%20incision%20at%20the%20throat%20and%20then%20cut%20the%20arteries%20and%20finally%20the%20knife%20punctures%20the%20heart.%20The%20other%20way%20would%20be%20to%20tie%20the%20pig%20and%20hit%20it%20with%20a%20heavy%20object,%20like%20a%20piece%20of%20iron,%20on%20its%20skull.%20Somehow%20I%20prefer%20the%20first%20method.%20It%E2%80%99s%20quicker%20and%20less%20painful%20to%20the%20animal.%20Of%20course%20I%20am%20well%20aware%20of%20my%20vegetarian%20readers%20so%20I%E2%80%99m%20doing%20this%20in%20a%20very%20tasteful%20manner.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EAfter%20the%20blood%20has%20drained%20and%20collected%20for%20the%20black%20pudding%20the%20pig%20is%20placed%20on%20a%20table%20and%20hot%20water%20poured%20on%20it%20and%20the%20hair%20scraped%20off.%20First%20using%20very%20sharp%20knives%2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