Oh what a day. Starting around 7:30 this morning I was
picked up by Vlady (my counterpart, colleague, friend) and her family to head
to their village house. Since next Saturday is Christmas Eve, today was pig
killing day for them as well as many other people here in Bulgaria. I will explain
a bit by saying pork is a traditional Christmas item here in Bulgaria. Years
ago people killed the pig on the actual day of Christmas as Christmas Eve was
reserved for a vegetarian feast. However now most people kill their pigs beforehand
so they can relax on Christmas Day. The pig killing I was a part of today was
for an entire family of grandpa and grandpa followed by their son, his wife,
their son and daughter and their families. So this pig was for about 11 people
plus all the food we ate today (the extra 5-6 people who were a part of
things).
We got to the village house, unloaded the things and hung
out for a bit. Once everyone was there it was time to get things in motion so
all the men got everything ready. Now, before we got to the village I was
planning to help actually kill it however looking at how large this pig was
(the grandpa guessed about 200 kilos) I figured it would probably be best to
watch this first time. Plus, I didn’t know all the people involved and taking a
side role was just fine with me. So I was ready with my camera and video camera
to catch all the day’s events. They actually didn’t kill it how I would have
expected so it was a good thing I watched. I guessed they would slit its throat
however one man stabbed it on the side of its neck and then made a small cut.
It took 6 men to hold the pig, and it was definitely something to see. I’m glad
I was able to be a part of things. The really strange part was as they were killing
the pig there were definitely 4 or 5 pigs also being killed at the same time as
I seemed to be hearing squeals from every direction. After the pig was dead it
took 6 or 7 men to drag it out of the pen and onto a wooden slab which was then
hoisted onto two sawhorses. The first thing we did was drink some hot Rakia
(Bulgarian homemade whiskey) mixed with honey. Then they cleaned it off with
some water and started blowtorching all the hair and skin until it was charcoal
black. They did this to both sides of the pig. After this process they scraped
all the black off with the dull side of knives and then rubbed it with salt and
vinegar. Then it was time to start butchering. They use most all of the meat
for something or another including minced meat mixed with onions and rice
stuffed inside the intestines for sausage. During all of this we had not only
coffee but also red and white wine and snacks of fire grilled pork. There are
plenty of photos linked to this blog so look there for more on this part. I wanted
to spare all of you who either don’t want to see the butchering or have a very
weak stomach. It was a very interesting process and though I didn’t help much I
did as many little things as I could. After the pig was completely butchered
came the cooking of the pig and then we all ate together. I had a good time
hanging out and playing with the 3 girls who were there. Plus, I got lots of
homemade delicious food and got to know my Vlady’s family a bit more. Here is a
video and a link to all the photos from the day. I will warn you; in the videos you will see and hear a pig being killed, prepped, and butchered. There is no reason for 2 separate videos except for the fact that together it is too long to be uploaded in one shot.
I got back to my
place at about 5:00 pm and I still smell like a campfire. They were heating
water for the preparation and butchering of the pig all day long and then
cooking on the same fire. Smells like the cabin.
In the days leading up to today I kept questioning whether I
would personally be able to be the one to kill the pig and I had decided going
into today that I would do it if given the chance. To me, killing anything is a
big deal so I had to really think about it. I figure, who am I to eat meat if I
am unable to kill an animal? Since I do eat meat here in Bulgaria I thought
about this seriously. While I was not the one to kill the pig today I do feel I
am capable of doing it in the future. I currently only eat meat occasionally
and will continue to do this throughout my time in Bulgaria. However I do not
have a problem eating vegetarian. In the future one of my hopes it to have a
house with enough outside space to have a chicken/turkey coop where I can raise
them not only for eggs but for meat as well. I think there’s a great amount of
power in pride in raising and butchering your own food. I also plan to eat only
local meats and keep it to a special occasion or once a week basis. I simply do
not feel eating meat regularly is a sustainable or healthy diet which is why I
choose to limit my intake. Well enough of me going on.
Now it’s time to relax and go to bed, I’m exhausted. I hope
you’re all having a great weekend and everyone is having a wonderful time at my Grandpa Bob's 80th birthday party!
Oh, by the way. The game we call “monkey in the middle” back
in Minnesota where everyone is trying to keep the ball away from one person in
the middle, they call that “drunk carrot” here in Bulgaria. I found that quite
hilarious today. I also laughed out loud when, as I was going to hit the
shuttlecock with my Badminton racquet, the handle stayed in my hand while the
rest of it flew above the fence and into the neighbor’s property. Oh what fun
it is to play with crappy equipment :)
Peace, Love, Literacy, and Reckless Curiosity.
