It's been called different things, like "whole beast", "nose to tail" or "head to tail" eating.
Whatever you want to call it, it's basically the principle of respecting the animal that gave its life
for you to enjoy yours (in a gustatory fashion, that is) hence you show this respect by eating
every part of the animal, in that sense, not letting his death go to any waste at all.
Which is why we eat the tail of the lechon first, sneakily grabbing that first piece of goodness
before anyone has come to the table.
We also eat pig's feet or trotters, pig's knuckles (pigs have knuckles!) -- for crispy pata, humba,
ham hocks.
Of course the pig's body offers up a lot of bounty.
Liempo, pork chops, kasim, pigue, ribs, blood for dinuguan, intestines for chicharon bulaklak and isaw for paksiw.
Lungs and kidney for bopis. Lapay and atay. And we're just getting started!
The pig head is a marvel. Pig brains, rich and creamy. Pig face -- ah those cheeks, those wonderful wonderful cheeks. Where would sisig or tokwa't baboy be without those fatty, cheeky cheeks?
The snout, the ears .. . chewy gelatinous texture in every bite.
Thank you Pig for your sacrifice that I might have food for my stomach and fodder for this blog.
Ad astra per alia porci!
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