The Whole Hog

Bacon, bratwurst, bangers, barbecue: these are just a few of the
many ways people around the world enjoy feasting on pigs. Of
all the domesticated animals humans consume, Sus scrofa domesticus
is the most fascinating, the most divisive, and, arguably, the most
delicious. In this in-depth conversation with author and historian
Mark Essig, author of the book Lesser Beasts: A Snout-to-Tail
History of the Humble Pig, Gastropod discovers the evolutionary
source of the pigs’ intelligence (scientists have judged them the
cognitive equal of a human three-year-old), and why the animals’
physiology so closely resembles our own. We also uncover the real
reason Jews originally eschewed pork, and how pigs were the
essential but forgotten weapon, alongside guns and germs, that
allowed the Spanish and English to conquer and colonize the
Americas. Plus, we read and review Barry Estabrook’s book, Pig
Tales: An Omnivore’s Quest for Sustainable Meat, which picks up the
porcine tale in the present, where Mark Essig leaves off. From
helicopter hunting to manure spraying and more, join us and pig
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