Human flesh is said to smell and taste very similar to pork. At least one culture that partook in cannibalism called human meat “long pig” probably because of that. I’m also fairly sure I’ve heard stories of fire and rescue workers reporting delicious pork-roast smells that turned out absolutely horrifying and put them off pork for a very long time.
It may also be one of the reasons that certain religious texts and cultures forbid the eating of pork. It’s probably more to do with how pork spoils quickly in the climates where those religions originated, as well as the risk of roundworms if it isn’t cooked properly, but it does also stop the butcher from selling you a pork steak that isn’t actually pork, so that’s a bonus.
I think you might be right. In A St. Johnston’s Camping among Cannibals (which the OED quotes in its etymology of the term), he describes how:
The expression “long pig” is not a joke, nor a phrase invented by Europeans, but one frequently used by the Fijians, who looked upon a corpse as ordinary butcher’s meat, and call a human body puaka balava, " long pig," in contradistinction to puaka dina, or " real pig."
Which makes it sound like they were just distinguishing between the length of pigs and people.
I was in the basement working on a electronic project sitting in the floor My parents house. Couldn’t find my soldering iron holder so I just had a somewhat deep bowl and set it in upside down
Something surprising was on TV and I looked up, subconsciously I reach down to pick up the soldering iron which was upside down of its normal orientation.
I heard a sizzle. It took a good half second for me to realize it was me.
The lead on the iron was sweet when I touched the burned finger in my mouth, the skin had a decidedly porky flavor to it. Not going to lie it was kind of barbecuey…*
Human flesh is said to smell and taste very similar to pork. At least one culture that partook in cannibalism called human meat “long pig” probably because of that. I’m also fairly sure I’ve heard stories of fire and rescue workers reporting delicious pork-roast smells that turned out absolutely horrifying and put them off pork for a very long time.
It may also be one of the reasons that certain religious texts and cultures forbid the eating of pork. It’s probably more to do with how pork spoils quickly in the climates where those religions originated, as well as the risk of roundworms if it isn’t cooked properly, but it does also stop the butcher from selling you a pork steak that isn’t actually pork, so that’s a bonus.
I thought it was tapeworm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=002oyVnhO5o
Origin of “long pig”, copied from this Reddit comment:
I think you might be right. In A St. Johnston’s Camping among Cannibals (which the OED quotes in its etymology of the term), he describes how:
Which makes it sound like they were just distinguishing between the length of pigs and people.
Been firefighting for about 17 years now. Nothing burned up has ever smelled good.
Thank you for your service 🫡
I was in the basement working on a electronic project sitting in the floor My parents house. Couldn’t find my soldering iron holder so I just had a somewhat deep bowl and set it in upside down
Something surprising was on TV and I looked up, subconsciously I reach down to pick up the soldering iron which was upside down of its normal orientation.
I heard a sizzle. It took a good half second for me to realize it was me.
The lead on the iron was sweet when I touched the burned finger in my mouth, the skin had a decidedly porky flavor to it. Not going to lie it was kind of barbecuey…*
Edit: dictation did me dirty
I was distracted by some other students and grabbed a soldering iron in a metal workshop class when I was young.
The results were predictably uncomfortable and now when Im soldering it is impossible to distract me.
It’s the kind of lesson you don’t ever forget.
“For a long time.”
Implying that the allure of pork cannot be denied.
or maybe it’s just a translation error haha