Cuban pig economics - a short story

Wait, pork doesn't just come from a store packaged ready to cook?

Like it very much Bob, was in Cuba around 96 or so, lovely place. Also being from the mountains in northern Spain, which still live on livestock, this is very familiar to me.
Thanks
 
,,,,, The last time I saw a freshly home-slaughtered pig being prepared was in a village in either Spain or Portugal in this century. .....

The last for me was over New Years at my girlfriend's family house. The next will be next weekend when we celebrate my girlfriend's birthday. I always decline the honor of killing the pig out of fear that I will botch the job. So I leave that to the more experienced family members. Plenty of those in Cuba.
 
The last for me was over New Years at my girlfriend's family house. The next will be next weekend when we celebrate my girlfriend's birthday. I always decline the honor of killing the pig out of fear that I will botch the job. So I leave that to the more experienced family members. Plenty of those in Cuba.
Dear Bob,

This is indeed what rfaspen called "an ethical omnivorous diet". The only way I can bring myself to eat pigs is in the sure and certain knowledge that if the tables were turned, they would equally cheerfully eat me. Very likely more cheerfully, in fact, as I sincerely doubt that they agonize much (pr indeed at all) about the ethics of vegetarianism. But I won't eat battery-raised pigs.

I firmly believe that more people should witness slaughter and dressing, because that way the squeamish would need to think quite hard about the ethical basis of vegetarianism. Some would doubtless forswear meat, but not always (I fear) for the right reasons.

In my home village, shortly before I was born, a pig died of old age. He had become a family pet, and could do tricks. Tell him "Die for King George!" and he'd roll over on his back with his trotters in the air. He was buried, with all the family weeping.

But they still raised other pigs to eat...

Cheers,

R.
 
Thanks a lot for the photos and the information, I found it very interesting.

I live in a famous province in Thailand that is known for its pork, and when SimonSawSunlight was out here visiting me a couple of months ago, we were able to photograph a slaughterhouse. It was gnarly.

cheers, michael
 
Alternately, someone may spit roast the pig and sell it as sandwiches. A fresh roasted pork sandwich is 5 Cuban pesos or 20 cents equivalent.

Nice picks and descriptions.
A pulled pork sandwich for $.20.....I'm going to Cuba.
 
...Fish is in short supply. But anyone can raise a pig at home for low cost. Pigs are a great income supplement or private source of income.

An interesting look at Cuba, thank you!

I am wondering though, why are fish not available given an island nation and (no doubt) many people would fish?

Cheers...
Fergus 🙂
 
...... I am wondering though, why are fish not available given an island nation and (no doubt) many people would fish? .....

Fergus: Cuba is essentially "fished out" due to the continuing lack of food. Realize this is a country that must import 75% of their food consumption due to an agricultural system that is dysfunctional because of a 50 year attempt of manage it by central government control. The food problem became critical when the former Soviet Union, Cuba's economic lifeline, collapsed in the early 1990's. That was when Cubans lost an average of 12 pounds each simply because there was not enough food to eat. So any natural resource containing calories, especially protein, was not managed but consumed until depleted. Cubans have no compulsion about capturing and eating green sea turtles, an endangered species. Even manatees, those large docile mammals that we love to swim with, are nearly depleted in Cuba as they were killed for food.

One still sees Cubans fishing from the seashore but everything caught, regardless of size and species, is kept for food. Nothing is thrown back because it is too small or does not have a favorable taste.
 
. . . dysfunctional because of a 50 year attempt of manage it by central government control. . . .
Dear Bob,

In all fairness, US central government control too, when after 1960 the US refused to refine Cuban oil or buy Cuban sugar. Yes, all this was the result of nationalization without compensation, but I have some sympathy with the Cubans given the nature of the previous Batista/Mafia government. The benefits to the USA of the 56-year-old embargo are, with the benefit of hindsight, hard to see.

This is not to defend centralized planning or price controls, with (also with the benefit of hindsight) never work, but it is hard to see what else the Cubans could do. Laissez-faire capitalism would probably have been even harder on them than what they've had.

Hay que luchar...

Cheers,

R.
 
Fergus: Cuba is essentially "fished out" due to the continuing lack of food. Realize this is a country that must import 75% of their food consumption due to an agricultural system that is dysfunctional because of a 50 year attempt of manage it by central government control. The food problem became critical when the former Soviet Union, Cuba's economic lifeline, collapsed in the early 1990's. That was when Cubans lost an average of 12 pounds each simply because there was not enough food to eat. So any natural resource containing calories, especially protein, was not managed but consumed until depleted. Cubans have no compulsion about capturing and eating green sea turtles, an endangered species. Even manatees, those large docile mammals that we love to swim with, are nearly depleted in Cuba as they were killed for food.

One still sees Cubans fishing from the seashore but everything caught, regardless of size and species, is kept for food. Nothing is thrown back because it is too small or does not have a favorable taste.

Absolutely Bob. My heart goes out to the poor Cubans who have to grow pigs in their back yards simply to survive.

BTW congratulations on good reportage.
 
Hi Bob, I have enjoyed your series. Not very different from local rural traditions in Central Europe where the home slaughter of pigs is still widely practiced. Perhaps with the difference that those who slaughter, consume and preserve the meat themselves or share it with relatives and friends living in the city. Cheers, Peter
 
Fergus: Cuba is essentially "fished out" due to the continuing lack of food. Realize this is a country that must import 75% of their food consumption due to an agricultural system that is dysfunctional because of a 50 year attempt of manage it by central government control. The food problem became critical when the former Soviet Union, Cuba's economic lifeline, collapsed in the early 1990's. That was when Cubans lost an average of 12 pounds each simply because there was not enough food to eat. So any natural resource containing calories, especially protein, was not managed but consumed until depleted. Cubans have no compulsion about capturing and eating green sea turtles, an endangered species. Even manatees, those large docile mammals that we love to swim with, are nearly depleted in Cuba as they were killed for food.

One still sees Cubans fishing from the seashore but everything caught, regardless of size and species, is kept for food. Nothing is thrown back because it is too small or does not have a favorable taste.


Amazing that an island nation could do that. No doubt with time the oceans can replenish.

And you're right, when hungry we become a lot less fussy about size or taste.
 
Absolutely Bob. My heart goes out to the poor Cubans who have to grow pigs in their back yards simply to survive.

BTW congratulations on good reportage.

I sympathize with all who must settle for less than I do. I have seen it in other counties such as Vietnam and Korea; no fish is to small.

Chickens can live on scraps as well, and can also be turned out search for seeds and insects in the yard and fields. That is if you have grassy yards and fields. I don't think they would be so happy with scraps from the table, but pigs are quite satisfied with that.

I used to raise chickens for eggs and meat when I was young. Never pigs. Their feces is very pungently unpleasant. Cats feces is unpleasant but they bury theirs.

Nice photo essay. I enjoyed that slice of life, and the other cultural facets of Cuban life.
 
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