Colombia Lechona (Roasted Pig) a Popular Sunday and Holiday Dish

Lechona , or roasted pig, is one of the most popular dishes on Colombia's culinary landscape. Succulent, greasy,delicious pork meat surrounded by a crispy, golden, crunchy baked skin has made lechona a symbol of celebration and an indispensable part of  Colombian culture.

Roasted pig is a central part of Colombian culture and history whose origins can be traced back to colonial times. The Spaniards introduced pigs to the Americas during colonial times.  In Europe roasting pigs dates back to the Bronze age.

The indigenous people of Latin Amerrica embraced  pig as a  new source of protein and incorporated it into their traditional dishes.  Upper class Spaniards would serve roasted pig as the main dish during special celebrations like weddings, Christmas, New Years and Easter. The pig holds a specal place as a symbol of prosperity and good luck. Roasted pig has always been a  very popular dish  throughout Europe.

The pigs used for roasting are usually 5-6 months old at the time of slaughter. They are throughly cleaned and  the skin is scraped and  washed with boiling water to remove any hair. Then they are skewered on a stick and cooked over charcoal or in a brick oven fir several hours. Baby piglets, or  suckling pigs, though smaller, are even more  tender.

In Colombia lechona is prepared in a similiar style to many other South American countries. The pig is stuffed with peas, carrots, bell peppers, onions and spices like garlic, cumin and anciote (a mild peppery spice  used to give a  dish a yellow color). Then the pig is slowly cooked in a brick  oven. Pre-cooked yellow rice is added and the vegetables and  rice add flavor while soaking up the flavors of the spices and pork fat. This stuffing is served with the lechona as  a side dish.

Roasted pig is served throughout Colombia but different departments have their own regional variants. Tolima, Huila, Cali, Santander, Antioquia and  coastal towns on  Colombia's Caribbean of all have their own  recipes.

Lechona can be found throughout Colombia at different restaurants and even in grocery stores. Many village  markets sell lechona at market stalls on the weekends and during the holidays. It is considered an affordable and popular dish in Colombia. The whole  pig is usually on display and one can buy portions to eat on the spot or to take home along with sides of the  rice stuffing.

A typical serving of lechona sells for around 8,000 COP ($2) at the markets. A whole pig can be ordered for a large group costing signigicantly more usually from 60,000 - 80,000 COP ($15-$20) per person.