So Whats With The Pigs Head

[nattydread]

teerac and me have been together over two years now and the extended family (distant cousins uncles aunts etc) have only just found out that she has a farang b/f...she neglected to let them know

because she says she would be under pressure to get married build a house etc etc which I am not over enthusiastic about........she has now asked me for 2000 baht as the extended family

need to perform some sort of ceremony involving a pigs head and bottles of lao khao......she says its something to do with banishing the spirits of dead ancestors and protecting against any bad

luck that may come their way........anybody experienced a similar demand or can give a more detailed explanation into what its all about?

Edited January 6, 2013 by cdnvic
photo removed

[krisb]

Never heard of it before, but that photo freaks me out a bit.

[Semper]

anybody experienced a similar demand

Yes, been there done that. It's just an excuse for having a party.

[rene123]

Pig's head = nasty stuff no matter HOW you cook it. Anything you can get off a pig's head is rubbery and hard to chew... even with good teeth.

[Semper]

Pig's head = nasty stuff no matter HOW you cook it. Anything you can get off a pig's head is rubbery and hard to chew... even with good teeth.

Have to disagree with you. I found it rather easy to chew when cooked for a while, rather fatty though

[jamescollister]

This may or may not be the right answer in your case.

Out here in the jungle, these good Buddhist have magic spirit trees and a pigs head, booze and lite candles are placed around the tree, as an offering to the spirit of the tree.

Then you win the lottery, find a bag of money or have a bumper rice harvest etc.

Have one of these trees on the rubber plantation and several times a year will find offering around it. Jim

[barefoot1988]

Pig's head = nasty stuff no matter HOW you cook it. Anything you can get off a pig's head is rubbery and hard to chew... even with good teeth.

pig brain. as soft as tofu

[rene123]

Pig's head = nasty stuff no matter HOW you cook it. Anything you can get off a pig's head is rubbery and hard to chew... even with good teeth.

pig brain. as soft as tofu

I said "off" a pig's head. Anything inside it you can keep. There are so many delightful things to eat that I will leave all the awful offal alone.

[TimTang]

When I first moved to Thailand I had a Buriram girlfriend and the first time I went up north to meet her family I was surprised to see a huge screen in their yard and stacks of speaker cabinets you'd normally see at rock concerts. I was then informed that a party had been planned and that I was responsible for financing the entire event; I can't remember the amount but it was in multiples of 10,000 baht. The booze was flowing and everyone was getting pleasantly inebriated at my expense including myself of coarse. To top off the evening they started playing movies with the speakers blasting loud enough that people in Laos and Cambodia could probably hear it. Later a Buddhist Monk came by had us sit down and started wailing away in a bunch of rhythmic gibberish then everyone passed by and tied a string around each of our wrists.

< Parapraph containing overly sexual innuendo as well as being off topic has been deleted. >

Edited January 6, 2013 by metisdead

[Rsquared]

for the OP, yes it is a common thing.

My nephew recently did the pigs head (plus the rest of it) display on his land after he had a bumper harvest, sort of like showing appreciation to the spirits that the land belongs to.

[kwonitoy]

We do pigs head every new years day for good luck for the year to come. I cook it in the oven in the house. Slow roasted for 6-8 hours and the meat and fat are perfectly cooked

[rene123]

I'll take a nicely baked Canadian salmon instead, thank you. Or, a nicely roasted haunch of wild elk meat. Otherwise I'll stick with stir fried rice with pork or chicken. The shrimp in Thailand are tasteless, and the beef is too tough to eat.

[Gary A]

Pickled pig's tongue is one of my favorite snacks. My mother used to make it fairly often and now my Thai wife has learned to make it for me. Don't knock until you try it.

[cdnvic]

Pickled pig's tongue is one of my favorite snacks. My mother used to make it fairly often and now my Thai wife has learned to make it for me. Don't knock until you try it.

I'll compromise. Won't knock it, won't try it

[krisb]

When I first moved to Thailand I had a Buriram girlfriend and the first time I went up north to meet her family I was surprised to see a huge screen in their yard and stacks of speaker cabinets you'd normally see at rock concerts. I was then informed that a party had been planned and that I was responsible for financing the entire event; I can't remember the amount but it was in multiples of 10,000 baht. The booze was flowing and everyone was getting pleasantly inebriated at my expense including myself of coarse. To top off the evening they started playing movies with the speakers blasting loud enough that people in Laos and Cambodia could probably hear it. Later a Buddhist Monk came by had us sit down and started wailing away in a bunch of rhythmic gibberish then everyone passed by and tied a string around each of our wrists.

< Parapraph containing overly sexual innuendo as well as being off topic has been deleted. >

Gee next time you wanna shout everyone to a party at your expense, let me know, I'll be there,

[Mossfinn]

Pig's head = nasty stuff no matter HOW you cook it. Anything you can get off a pig's head is rubbery and hard to chew... even with good teeth.

pig brain. as soft as tofu

Called Braun I believe.

Pigs eyes are a great gift, it will help your girlfriend see through the week....

[I Like Thai]

Pickled pig's tongue is one of my favorite snacks. My mother used to make it fairly often and now my Thai wife has learned to make it for me. Don't knock until you try it.

I use to eat pigs tongue as a child, I loved it, but don't think it can be bought anymore. Also ate pigs feet (crubeens/trotters) and pigs tail.

[NewlyMintedThai]

Cabeza tacos off a food truck in LA...can't be beat.

[chiangmaikelly]

Pig's head = nasty stuff no matter HOW you cook it. Anything you can get off a pig's head is rubbery and hard to chew... even with good teeth.

Boy lady you got a lot to learn about cooking. Get a Mexican cook book.

[MrRealDeal]

My wife and most people wives in the world ask for 2000 bhat for a lot of stuff we could care less about and don't understand ...... Just chalk it up to part of life and dun worry about it

[rene123]

Pig's head = nasty stuff no matter HOW you cook it. Anything you can get off a pig's head is rubbery and hard to chew... even with good teeth.

Boy lady you got a lot to learn about cooking. Get a Mexican cook book.

I've been to Mexican meat markets with flies buzzing around huge, skinned carcasses at 30 degree heat... = No thanks. Like I said, with all the good stuff to eat why settle for the offal? Maybe I've just been spoiled all my life. On Vancouver Island I get all the fresh seafood I can eat and have to give the rest away. My father still shoots some venison each year and does his own butchering. I've gone along with him occasionally and I know how to dress a deer in about half an hour. Dad can do it in 15 minutes. My sister was a "missy" and used to say "Ooooh, you're all covered in blood!" to which I would just laugh.

[chiangmaikelly]

Pig's head = nasty stuff no matter HOW you cook it. Anything you can get off a pig's head is rubbery and hard to chew... even with good teeth.

Boy lady you got a lot to learn about cooking. Get a Mexican cook book.

I've been to Mexican meat markets with flies buzzing around huge, skinned carcasses at 30 degree heat... = No thanks. Like I said, with all the good stuff to eat why settle for the offal? Maybe I've just been spoiled all my life. On Vancouver Island I get all the fresh seafood I can eat and have to give the rest away. My father still shoots some venison each year and does his own butchering. I've gone along with him occasionally and I know how to dress a deer in about half an hour. Dad can do it in 15 minutes. My sister was a "missy" and used to say "Ooooh, you're all covered in blood!" to which I would just laugh.

I didn't say to go to Mexico to buy the pork. Just read a Mexican cook book if you want to be a decent cook. Get out of your little ethnocentric hole. Pig head is not nasty only in your mind is it nasty because you are not very well traveled in a culinary sense. Tamales!! Your a North American who has never eaten a good tamale? That is terrible.

Edited January 6, 2013 by chiangmaikelly

[cuddleypete]

My wife eats the pig head but i never tried it not for me

[Bluetongue]

From NYD

[krisb]

From NYD

The pigs head looks tastier than the chicken lookn thing.

[I Like Thai]

Pig's head = nasty stuff no matter HOW you cook it. Anything you can get off a pig's head is rubbery and hard to chew... even with good teeth.

Boy lady you got a lot to learn about cooking. Get a Mexican cook book.

I've been to Mexican meat markets with flies buzzing around huge, skinned carcasses at 30 degree heat... = No thanks. Like I said, with all the good stuff to eat why settle for the offal? Maybe I've just been spoiled all my life. On Vancouver Island I get all the fresh seafood I can eat and have to give the rest away. My father still shoots some venison each year and does his own butchering. I've gone along with him occasionally and I know how to dress a deer in about half an hour. Dad can do it in 15 minutes. My sister was a "missy" and used to say "Ooooh, you're all covered in blood!" to which I would just laugh.

Women and hunting is not a good idea

[Tchooptip]

Your GF is very reasonable 2000Baht is not too much

True its for a pigs head (singular)... but bottles (plural) of Lao khao

You will certainly participate in the "ceremony" dont know if you know Lao khao? For me is like ethanol I cannot a single swallow.

For the pigs head they could be related somehow to the spirits? Because I have seen some at funerals ceremonies

[Semper]

From NYD

The pigs head looks tastier than the chicken lookn thing.

Would this be because of the darker skin?

[loong]

Pig's head = nasty stuff no matter HOW you cook it. Anything you can get off a pig's head is rubbery and hard to chew... even with good teeth.

pig brain. as soft as tofu

Called Braun I believe.

Pigs eyes are a great gift, it will help your girlfriend see through the week....

My mum used to make braun, very tasty it was.

[loong]

Pickled pig's tongue is one of my favorite snacks. My mother used to make it fairly often and now my Thai wife has learned to make it for me. Don't knock until you try it.

I use to eat pigs tongue as a child, I loved it, but don't think it can be bought anymore. Also ate pigs feet (crubeens/trotters) and pigs tail.

I see pig's tongue in the supermarket all the time, never tried it though.

I used to think that faggots were made from pig's brains. That was because the main brand name in the UK was Mr Brain's