As the days get a little shorter and cooler, we all know that fall is just around the corner. However, at Bank+Vine, we’re not ready for summer to be over just yet. There’s still plenty of time left to enjoy the last days of summer and all of our favorite summertime activities. This includes one summer event everyone loves – BBQs. One BBQ food that’s especially popular, but one that you don’t get to enjoy very often, is a whole roasted pig.
A pig roast is one of the best summer events you can attend, and it’s hard to find a better meal than this. This tradition is nothing new and goes back much further than you might realize.
Pig Roasts Throughout History
Roasting whole pigs might seem like a quintessential American summer event, but cultures around the world have done this long before Europeans arrived in America. Some believe that pig roasts date back to the Bronze Age, when humans discovered metals that allowed them to develop new cooking techniques. In the Middle Ages, you could find spit roasts for roasting whole animals in homes of all social classes. During a time when communities were extremely close-knit and depended heavily on one another, a large meal like a whole pig made the most sense to feed everyone.
However, roasting whole pigs wasn’t always this popular throughout history. Food trends have changed significantly over time, largely due to the resources available. Roasting a whole pig takes a large amount of space, and kitchens that could accommodate this meal became less common. Communal lifestyles also became less common, and feeding one family required far less than a whole pig. Still, pig roasts were used for banquet foods due to the number of people they could feed.
Pig Roasts in America
As many people around the world created their own ways to roast whole pigs and use different spices and ingredients to create unique flavors, so were Native Americans. Pork was popular among Native Americans, but pigs were not always a part of their diet. Pigs are not native to North America and were first introduced to the area in the 1500s by Spanish explorer Hernando De Soto. These pigs were initially introduced in the southeast, but would later spread to other regions. Eventually, certain areas of the country would become overpopulated with wild hogs.
While people host pig roasts all over the country, this is something that’s widely associated with the South, where barbeques are especially popular. In American history, pig roasts have often been used for large gatherings, including bringing people together for political events. Today, pig roasts are often saved for special events in the South year-round.
Enjoy Roasted Pig at Bank+Vine’s BBQ Bash
Roasting a whole pig is a huge amount of work, and many people can’t manage this on their own. Fortunately, Bank+Vine knows what a great meal this is and will be serving it up at our BBQ Bash on September 7th. We’re throwing an all-you-can-eat BBQ featuring a whole roasted pig from Dynamic BBQ for the perfect end-of-summer event. Enjoy a welcome cocktail and other amazing BBQ foods. Additional cocktails and bourbons will also be available to order.
Spots are sure to fill up quickly for this delicious event. Give us a call at 570-901-4040 to make your reservations!
