Pigs were omnipresent in the farms of the Périgord. Fed on corn, acorns, chestnuts, raves and bacada potatoes, they were mainly used for family food and local trade. The black and white Perigord pig breed was crossed with Tonkin pigs at the end of the 19th century. Then, in the early 20th century, agricultural associations tried to encourage the preservation of the breed in the face of the introduction of more productive breeds such as the Large White.
During the winter, the day of the pig was a feast. Friends, neighbors and the killer would gather for the sacrifice of the animal. Taken out of its penny, weighed in a cage when it was to be sold, the pig had its aorta slit. The blood collected was used for the socks. Cleaned and shaved, it was emptied of its viscera carefully recovered for the pâtés and other delicatessen products. The next day, it was cut up and prepared for preservation: hams, pâtés, and hot meats.
Well trained, a pig or a sow could be an excellent searcher for black truffles from Périgord.
Illustrations :
– Photographs of the day of the pig in the farm Climaque in Faye in Beauronne in 1983 before the suspended killing and during the cleaning of the pig. (Climaque Picture © Private collection)
– Postcard The search for truffles: the reward, the farmer and his sow (ADD24 2 Fi 3856)
– Weighing cage with pig or car door (©Musée André Voulgre)