Killing a Pig

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. 

PHOTOS

 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.