Hobbies And Interests
Offspring
The first definition of a suckling pig is the newborn offspring of a sow that suckles on its mother for milk for the first two to four weeks. A sow will usually give birth to an average of 10 suckling pigs in a litter and the birthing process is called farrowing. Suckling pigs have a reputation for greediness as they compete with one another for their mother's milk. Between two and four weeks, the suckling pigs are weaned from their mother's milk. At that point, they are called nursery pigs until they weigh about 50 pounds. Thereafter they are called growing or finishing pigs until they reach about 250 pounds. Thereafter they are called hogs and are taken to market for slaughter.
Culinary
A suckling pig also refers to culinary dishes made literally from a suckling pig. There are dishes all over the world the prize the suckling pig for its tenderness, with some recipes dating as far back as ancient China and ancient Rome. The suckling pig is killed between two and six weeks before it is weaned off its mother's milk. The only food the suckling pig has fed on is its mother milk, giving it the unique tenderness and the meat has a gelatinous texture due to the presence of a large amount of collagen. The suckling pig is traditionally roasted and leaving the flesh pale and tender, and the skin brown and crispy.
Cultural Dishes
In China, Cantonese cuisine is well known for its suckling pig dishes. Many of the dishes use small quantities of the meat from suckling pigs, but on special occasions the suckling pig is roasted whole and eaten. The suckling pig is also popular in Filipino cuisine, Spain, Portugal, Croatia, Germany and Georgia. In Russia, the suckling pig is also a popular dish during Christmas time along with the wild goose. In the United States, the suckling pig has declined in popularity but is still a prized dish in Cajun cuisine.
Suckling Pigs and Medicine
Iron Deficiency Anemia is a common problem for humans all over the world. It affects premature infants and infants that are bottle fed as well as women in reproductive age. Suckling pigs can also develop iron deficiency anemia regular and researchers use suckling pigs to monitor the progress of the disease as well as to evaluate medications and other therapeutic measures, reports Washington University's Department of Comparative Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri.