We took a short coffee break at Lachau, a small town on the way to Sebeliau in the early morning and on the way back to the car we noticed a small crowd gathering around this lady who had just set out a small table just outside the coffee shop and was selling something that must be quite popular.
On closer examination she was selling ‘hutan babi’ or jungle pig ‘kampung babi’ or village-reared pig which looked like it must have been recently slaughtered as the meat was still red and fresh and which had been carefully chopped up into various cuts. I understand that undoubtedly the prized cut for the Dayaks is the head which would normally be barbequed over a wood fire.
Here are some photos I took which I’m well aware that they may be a repulsive sight to those of the muslim faith or a vegetarian but then again if you’re living the context of the longhouse jungles; porky is a fine source of protein whatever your persuasion(s); especially if barbequed over a wood fire and washed down with village brewed ‘langkau’, the drink of choice at the longhouse! But try to stay away from and don’t get too near to the fire if you’re having one as it’s at least 30% proof!
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{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
dun be rude! what lanjiau?!
hhm..doesn’t look like ‘pig forest’ to me. maybe it’s babi kampung? the meat looks very un-wildboar..
langkau is good.
wuching - u need to try ‘langkau’ when u’re here … i better warn u that it’s potent!
kelvin - you’re probably right. i’d better change the text to ‘babi kampung’ now! thks.
You are what you eat. I’d rather be a turnip.
they didn’t even have the decency to clean the pig’s face!
panda - i probably look like a durian then …
sharon - they did lah! they had burnt off the facial hairs! hence the black markings.
Heard that is taste better than farm pigs.
these are good stuff
i probably look like a durian then …
Perhaps a little thorny around the edges, but sweet on the inside?
Oh, man…my reaction to those pictures was really confused.
First my youthful, impetuous, carnivorous self said, “Mmmmmmm…pork! FRESH MEAT!!! GIMME A FORK!!!!!”
But then my oft-neglected spiritual-adventurer self gave it a flying boot to the head and said, “Have you forgotten that you value life and try to avoid eating meat…again??!? “
My youthful self, as always, tries to defend itself by saying, “Look, I was raised carnivorous, I’ve lived carnivorous, my tastes are carnivorous, and besides, the pig is already dead! Why shouldn’t I indulge!”
This prompts my spiritual self to unleash a torrent of criticism, all of it very extravagant, but none of which sticks since we’ve heard it all before at least a hundred times.
Before the inevitable argument gets very far, however, my sadly mindful of my age and current health self knocks the two varmints’ heads together with a satisfying thud and says, “Look, it just doesn’t matter! The doctor said to lay off the cholesterol, right? So that pig is RIGHT OUT!!!! “
There is a round of sighs, and I click the “splashing comments” line to lay down this bloated bit of eloquence.
Yes, it does look del[SMACK!]
Ow!