Scottish Food Aversion

[Lachlan09]

Has anyone here heard of a historical idea that in the past, Scottish people and especially Highlanders, abhorred pork and bacon ?

I must admit, I'm not a huge fan of pork these days*, though I like ham and bacon (especially if smoked)

* I think it's possibly because my wife (who's Filipina) and her compatriots like blubbery pork (where the fat far outnumbers the meat !) and is used in soupy stews etc. The old days of mum's roast pork joint with apple sauce etc is long gone !

[Cadbren]

From wiki:

Because of deforestation [I assume this happened at the end of the middle ages as pig remains were common throughout that period] there was a loss of beech mast and acorns for feeding pigs, and it was not until the late 18th century that potatoes were produced in sufficient quantity to offer a useful alternative. Throughout this gap in pork consumption by the general population, many of the Scottish upper classes continued to eat the meat.[citation needed]

"In the years of the eighteenth century and probably earlier, swine were rarely raised in Scotland, particularly in the Scottish Highlands, and subsequent writers have gone so far as to postulate the operation of a taboo on the eating of pork. Unfortunately there is almost nothing known today about local sentiments of that era, and we have only the intellectual rationalizations of educated writers who all too easily found an explanation for the scarcity of pigs in the assumption that a 'foolish prejudice' was at work."[14]

[Lachlan09]

Thank goodness for Ayrshire !!!

God, I could go a good big thick slice or two of Ayrshire ham (with the rind), free range eggs and some black pudding !

[Negotiate Now]

I don't think people used the word pork in the olden days, it was normally called hog. Maybe the poorer people couldn't afford to keep pigs because they eat an awful lot anyway.
Irene
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
YOU NEED TO STOP MAKING COMMENTS WITH LINKS TO PRODUCT SITES. THIS IS SPAM, YOU WILL BE BANNED IF THIS DOESN'T STOP!

[Lachlan09]

If there's an aversion to Scottish food, try this Filipino delicacy - BALUT !

[sandy74]

Eeeww!!! I'll stick to the cows, pigs, and chickens.

[tig]

Originally Posted by Lachlan09

If there's an aversion to Scottish food, try this Filipino delicacy - BALUT !

BOAK.....im sure i coughed something like that up a couple of weeks ago