The Philippines' Lechon: The Mark Of A Grand Celebration
I have no memory of a big celebration in our family with no Lechon in it. Lechon refers to a roasted pig cooked over charcoal. The word Lechon was derived from the Spanish word leche, referring to a roasted suckling pig. However, as time went by, even the full-grown pigs were being roasted depending on how big the feasts were. It is popular in Spain and its former colonies like Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and The Philippines.
In The Philippines, Lechon is a popular dish served in any occasion; festivals, weddings, birthdays, and the Holidays. In my family, the birthdays with significant numbers ( like the 1st year, 7th, 18th, 40th, 60th and 80th) are highlighted with this sumptuous dish. My mother, who is a fan of grand celebrations would buy the crispiest and juiciest Lechon from a restaurant in our city who claims to have mastered the art of roasting pigs to perfection.
Our reunions also call for Lechon. In this case, the men in our family would be the ones who would slaughter, season, spit, and roast the pig. The whole process would take hours but the men enjoy their time together and see the activity as a way of catching up. As a kid, I would see them taking turns in stoking the fire, making sure that the pig is roasted evenly. They would usually have a beer or some other form of alcohol in their midst as they wait patiently for the roasted pig to be in that perfect shade of red before they proudly announce that the Lechon is ready.
images used are family photos
THX for the great post! I really enjoy learning about different cooking techniques & your photos make me wish Steemit had " smell-o-vision", lol!
7-3's!
I sometines wish that too! 😁
I was thinking of buying my mother with two kilos of lechon for her birthday on December 24th ;)
It's really a good food to have for celebrations. @dandalion
When was your mother's birthday?
Nakakatuwa naman na sa bisperas ng Araw ng Pasko ang birthday ng mom mo. Nice!
My mom's birthday is in October. She celebrated her 60th last year. 😊
Mas bata pala Mom mo sa Nanay ko @dandalion :)
Malapit na birthday nila ulit. Uuwi dito mga kapatid nya sa b-day nya, nahihiiya ako magpakita.
@dandalion
Just could remember the big role on the presence of LECHON, in every celebration...indeed, Lechon ay laging bida!
Bida nga talaga. Palaging yun at yun ang hinihintay pag may handaan. 😁
eat more and you will getting younger hehehe....
Hahaha! Pampabata. 😁
Isa sa mga bagay na namimiss naming mga ofw...huhuhu wlang lechon dito!
In America, the neighborhood I grew up in had an annual summer pig roast. I can remember the men taking shifts as well, all through the night, while rotating the pig.
Never would have imagined this was something that was done in America too!
Thank you for dropping by @boxcarblue! And thank you for suppporting the Culture Vulture Challenge. Challenges like it make Steemit a great venue for learning.
Thank you for taking part in this months #culturevulture competition. Good Luck
Thank you for taking part in this months #culturevulture competition. Good Luck
Seems like you are having a great time.