From something rarely eaten to the opposite. From Japan to Jamaica, Laos to Lithuania, one porky part is eaten with relish. Trotters or pettitoes; ຫມູຂອງ to kiaulės koja, there are few cultures which don’t eat them.
I’m talking pig’s feet, although in Chinese we have both 猪手 (zhū shǒu) and 猪脚 (zhū jiǎo), pig’s hands and pig’s feet respectively, denoting the front and back feet separately although the latter is also used for both, unless it is essential to differentiate.
Pig's Foot with Garlic
I’ve never cooked them, but I’ve eaten them on three different continents. Now, the nearest restaurant to my home does a mean pig’s foot, which I always order when I visit. I ate them in the UK regularly when my mother cooked them (or more often bought them pre-cooked from the butcher).
Cantonese Braised Pig's Feet
I think these are too well known for me to have to say anything very much except to mention this typical Cantonese recipe which is how I usually have them, and point you to probably the greatest song about a porcine part.
Twenty-five cents?
Ha! No! No!
I wouldn't pay twenty-five cents to go in nowhere 'cause listen here:
Up in Harlem ev'ry Saturday night when the high-browns git together it's just too tight,
They all congregates at an all night strut and what they do is tut-tut-tut
Old Hannah Brown from 'cross town gets full of corn and starts breakin' 'em down
Just at the break of day you can hear old Hannah say, "Gimme a pigfoot and a bottle of beer"
Send me gate I don't care I feel just like I wanna clown
Give the piano player a drink because he's bringin' me down
He's got rhythm, yeah! When he stomps his feet, he sends me right off to sleep
Check all your razors and your guns
We gonna be rasslin' when the wagon comes
I wanna pigfoot and a bottle of beer
Send me 'cause I don't care Slay me 'cause I don't care
Gimme a reefer and a gang o' gin
Slay me, 'cause I'm in my sin
Slay me 'cause I'm full of gin
Check all your razors and your guns
Do the shim-sham shimmy till the risin' sun
