Preserved Pig Carcass

猪膘肉

At the bank of Lugu Lake lived two brothers. After the division of the family estate, the older brother got a pig and a dog while the younger one got a sum of money. Similar to the younger brother in the story “The Prodigal Son” from Bible, the younger one squandered his wealth in wild living. The older one, on the contrary, was so assiduous that he could make a living under whatever circumstances.After finding a new residence, the older brother plunged into work. He fed the pig and the dog every day, providing the best care he could offer. Because of his circumspection, the pig soon became lardy and fleshy, waiting to be slaughtered. Normally, the older brother would worship the Bodhisattva when winter approached and then started to slaughter the pig. Unzipping the pork belly, he took out the intestines and viscera, plus removed the lean meat and bones, and then seasoned the carcass with salt, pepper, garlic and ginger. Next he sewed the belly, putting it on the cabinet after airing. Finally he stuffed the large intestine with oats and the small one with buckwheat, hanging them along with viscera. Owning the preserved pig carcass, fairly speaking, he barely needed anything else. He could take the lard and the meat from it and easily made a simple but luscious dish, which was special in the eye of Mosuo People.During the Spring Festival, according to the tradition of Mosuo People, the head of the pig was served to the Bodhisattva as deference the meat around the pig’s neck was provided to parents as filial love.