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John Barlow, a self-confessed glutton, finds himself in a meat-lover’s dream in northern Spain.

In Galicia, the misty-green north-west corner of Spain, the people revere and consume every part of the pig. Over the course of one glorious, gourmandising year, Barlow tries the patience of his vegetarian wife as he goes the whole hog and vows to eat everything but the squeal. Everything from cocido in a cantina to a chorizo feast at Carnival, from ribs to roast ham, all washed down with local wine– heaven!

Pig, John Barlow would have one believe, is “an everyday sort of animal. And its meat is not generally considered to be glamorous or sexy… “Whatever your criterion, there’s always something outgunning pork for the top spot…” In Barlow’s book, it’s time to turn the tables!

He ponders with wit and insight, the pig’s physical appeal and physiology; the human fondness for pork and pigs; the pig’s place in history and literature; our allusions to pigs in everyday speech (fat pig, lazy pig, greedy pig…) and concludes that “rightly speaking, the pig is man’s best food friend”. Barlow is up for the complete porcine experience as he embarks on his intrepid culinary odyssey.

“… Galicia is a misty, mysterious place full of cagey old coots and rustic food fanatics … a delicious meat mash note. Verdict. Read.” – Time magazine

“… well beyond the business of eating … a fascinating journal of his Galician wanderings … what comes through is a deep affection not just for Galicia’s pigs – but for Galicia’s people and culture.”
– The Economist

John Barlow was born in England in 1967. He studied English literature at the University of Cambridge and has a PhD in applied linguistics from the University of Hull. After teaching in various universities he moved to Spain, where he now lives with his wife and son. A former recipient of The Paris Review’s Plimpton (Discovery) Prize, he is the author of the novella collection Eating Mammals and the novel Intoxicated, which has been translated into four languages.