# How does one eat wild boar, feudal style? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 1, 2010, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-one-eat-wild-boar-feudal-style/527203 "2010-02-01T03:58:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![No\_Wikipedia\_Cites](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@No\_Wikipedia\_Cites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/No_Wikipedia_Cites)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2010, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-one-eat-wild-boar-feudal-style/527203/1 "2010-02-01T03:58:43Z")
According to Johnston’s Private Life of the Romans, _Wild animals also were bred for food in similar preserves; the hare and the wild boar were the favorite. The latter was served whole upon the table, as in feudal times_ Ok, now I remember the whole boar being served. But how do you actually EAT IT? Does someone carve it on the spot? What happens to the head? Was there some kind of special boar carver in castles and roman estates? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2010, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-one-eat-wild-boar-feudal-style/527203/2 "2010-02-01T04:27:31Z")
You’d carve pieces off and serve them. The head probably ended up as head cheese. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2010, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-one-eat-wild-boar-feudal-style/527203/3 "2010-02-01T04:37:13Z")
Actually, they sometimes used to serve up just the boar’s head. It was a Christmas tradition. There is even [a song about it](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boar%27s_Head_Carol). And here is a [picture](http://www.gmbservices.ca/Jr/JrPics/BoarsHead2003.jpg). I guess there is enough meat on it to make it worthwhile. ---
**Author:** ![Uncertain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Uncertain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncertain)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2010, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-one-eat-wild-boar-feudal-style/527203/4 "2010-02-01T04:47:49Z")
Also, the Lord of the Manor got a portion (that’s where we get our expression “get a cut of”). Most commonly this came from the right side of the pig, which was more tender due to the clockwise motion encouraged by the layout of the preserves. Thus, this was referred to as droit du seigneur (“right of the lord”). ---
**Author:** ![Tethered\_Kite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a5b964/32.png) [@Tethered\_Kite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tethered_Kite)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2010, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-one-eat-wild-boar-feudal-style/527203/5 "2010-02-01T04:54:16Z")
I’m thinking that the meat may have been rather stong and was probably served with a tart relish of dried fruit or root vegetables, saurkraut, something of that nature. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2010, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-one-eat-wild-boar-feudal-style/527203/6 "2010-02-01T05:50:25Z")
> [@Uncertain](#): > > Thus, this was referred to as droit du seigneur (“right of the lord”). I thought the droit du seigneur was the (urban legend) right of a lord to have sex with the wife of a man who’s newly married. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2010, 7:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-one-eat-wild-boar-feudal-style/527203/7 "2010-02-01T07:56:06Z")
> [@Uncertain](#): > > Also, the Lord of the Manor got a portion (that’s where we get our expression “get a cut of”). Most commonly this came from the right side of the pig, which was more tender due to the clockwise motion encouraged by the layout of the preserves. Thus, this was referred to as droit du seigneur (“right of the lord”). Cite? ---
**Author:** ![kombatminipig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5ac83/32.png) [@kombatminipig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kombatminipig)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2010, 8:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-one-eat-wild-boar-feudal-style/527203/8 "2010-02-01T08:05:06Z")
> [@njtt](#): > > . And here is a [picture](http://www.gmbservices.ca/Jr/JrPics/BoarsHead2003.jpg). The name of the pic aside, AFAIK that’s a pig. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2010, 8:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-one-eat-wild-boar-feudal-style/527203/9 "2010-02-01T08:07:18Z")
> [@kombatminipig](#): > > The name of the pic aside, AFAIK that’s a pig. A boar is a boy pig. ---
**Author:** ![bengangmo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@bengangmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bengangmo)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2010, 8:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-one-eat-wild-boar-feudal-style/527203/10 "2010-02-01T08:27:33Z")
For what it’s worth, In this part of the world pig is spit roasted whole, then carved on the spot and served. Especially at Chinese New Year Gatherings its not uncommon to see the pig being roasted over open coals to be served later. And to watch the caterer carve it with cleavers into bit sized morsels (cubes I guess would be how I would describe them) ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2010, 8:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-one-eat-wild-boar-feudal-style/527203/11 "2010-02-01T08:47:19Z")
> [@Captain\_Amazing](#): > > A boar is a boy pig. _Wild Boar_ and domestic pig are different sorts of animals, regardless of sex. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2010, 10:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-one-eat-wild-boar-feudal-style/527203/12 "2010-02-01T10:03:25Z")
> [@Captain\_Amazing](#): > > I thought the droit du seigneur was the (urban legend) right of a lord to have sex with the wife of a man who’s newly married. > [@MrDibble](#): > > Cite? Whoosh. ---
**Author:** ![Gymnopithys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/fbc32d/32.png) [@Gymnopithys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gymnopithys)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2010, 10:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-one-eat-wild-boar-feudal-style/527203/13 "2010-02-01T10:25:50Z")
Pigs are domesticated Wild Boars. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2010, 10:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-one-eat-wild-boar-feudal-style/527203/14 "2010-02-01T10:53:03Z")
> [@Gymnopithys](#): > > Pigs are domesticated Wild Boars. Wheat is just domesticated grass. Pigs are domesticated descendants of wild pig species, for sure, but they’re different enough to make the naming distinction important. And the wild ones in question are called _Wild Boar_ regardless of whether they’re male or female. (In exactly the same way as ‘dog’ means the species, or a male example of the species) ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2010, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-one-eat-wild-boar-feudal-style/527203/15 "2010-02-01T11:42:27Z")
> [@njtt](#): > > Actually, they sometimes used to serve up just the boar’s head. It was a Christmas tradition. There is even [a song about it](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boar%27s_Head_Carol). And here is a [picture](http://www.gmbservices.ca/Jr/JrPics/BoarsHead2003.jpg). > > I guess there is enough meat on it to make it worthwhile. Indeed—eating the heads of animals is actually quite common in the cuisine of many regions. Icelandic _svið_, for example, is nothing but singed and boiled sheep’s heads. I wouldn’t say that there’s an awful lot of meat on it, but it’s certainly enough for half a head, with a couple sides of vegetables, to make a filling meal for one person. Most of the meat is in the cheek and tongue; the skin, lips, nose, and eyeballs are also eaten, and there’s also a lot of fat at the back of the head and around the neck. (The brain is usually removed before cooking.) For the curious, there are some before and after pictures of _svið_ from my trip to Iceland a few weeks ago: see [the food album](http://www.nothingisreal.com/photos/Iceland_2010-01/food/), second row. I’ve never eaten pork heads straight, though I have made soup from them. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2010, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-one-eat-wild-boar-feudal-style/527203/16 "2010-02-01T13:52:18Z")
Moving to Cafe Society from GQ. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2010, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-one-eat-wild-boar-feudal-style/527203/17 "2010-02-01T17:11:50Z")
I make a mean \*fake \*boar’s head for Yule - basically a shaped meatloaf, with turnip tusks, an apple in the mouth and olives for eyes. We sing it in with the Boar’s Head Carol \*\*njtt \*\*linked to. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2010, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-one-eat-wild-boar-feudal-style/527203/18 "2010-02-01T17:19:49Z")
> [@Captain\_Amazing](#): > > I thought the droit du seigneur was the (urban legend) right of a lord to have sex with the wife of a man who’s newly married. [The Master Speaks.](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1139/did-medieval-lords-have-right-of-the-first-night-with-the-local-brides)