In the years I've been in this small town I've eaten some pretty strange stuff.
The past week I delivered food from local cafes to the elderly women I check in on.
One had requested a combination platter of turkey necks, ox tails, okra and rice, corn bread and a small sweet potato pie with a lottery ticket.
To me, this dish sounded awful - but as for her, she was in hog heaven.
As an offer of hospitality, the woman pulled out from her roach infested cupboard a huge jar with bright pink things floating in it.
The jar read, "Pickled Pig Lips".
"Do you want a snack?", the woman asked.
"No, thank you.", I replied.
(But really, "OH, HELL NO!!!.", is what I was thinking.)
Man... some people in the South just love dem some scraps.
Scraps is what it is! I once stayed in Philly above a older Black woman from Mississippi. Now I don't eat any pork but I'll be damned if she wasn't offering me every concoction of Pork for running her errands for her. And, yes her cupboards were roach infested and me and her son cleaned it out as she wasn't taking care of herself to well....
ReplyDeleteMaking the best of what's left or what has been left for them!
Man, I done told you boys that yawl don't know what you're missing :-).
ReplyDeleteSee, I can remember a time I was locked up with a few brothas that was on the bean pie thang. Well, since me and the pig don't have no problems, for every pound they lost, I eat like a king(brought it to my "house"). And believe you me, if a brotha does not have money on his books (to buy yu-yu's & yam yams) he will lose weight in some institutions.
But see, yawl wrong for associating roaches with a nice lean cut of pork chops. Are you kidding me, roaches are roaches, and it has nothing to do with rather or not a person eats pork. Shame on you Uncle Black.
I bet you eat... ahh, the other meat. And you can't even get fat on those loins. Should we talk about pickled lips.
That has to be the most disgusting thing I have ever heard of lol and i used to eat pickled pig feet out of a jar from the corner store in the summer lol...what was I thinking??? lol.
ReplyDeleteIt's nice that you look after these little ladies too :). She was showing you her highest level of appreciation. I hear the lips are reserved for royalty lol.
Toya, those were great comments!
ReplyDelete"Highest level of appreciation" and "corner store pickled pig feet"... you sho know what you're talking about.
"I hear the lips are reserved for royalty"
That's the line of the month.
@ FreeMan - I usualy eat what's offered because it is usualy the best that they have.
ReplyDeleteBut Pig Lips is just going too far.
@ Carey - Nah man... pork doesn't cause roaches - it's only that in my case (and in the case with FreeMan) that these women offered THEIR best from conditions that weren't the best.
Roaches are common for many people who may have less.
I eat pork.
You can make a rack of pork ribs wrapped in bacon and it wouldn't get by me.
IT's just that Pickled Pig Lips wasn't something I was in the mood to try.
@ Toya - The erudite SeeNew says that eating together is the most basic form of communion.
The lady offering her favorite was just her way of showing appreciation.
I get that... but Pickled Pig Lips?
I thought those were just a joke.
But some people don't waste any part of the hog.
"From the rooter to the tooter", as John Witherspoon would say.
@ Carey - Yeah... Toya is a thoughtful lady.