Piggy & truffles

The other names for pigs are hogs and s wine.

Wild pigs live in social groups called sounders.

A male pig is called a boar.

A female pig is known as a sow.

Piglets are baby pigs.

‘Pig-headed’ is a term used to describe someone who is very stubborn and unreasonable.

Pigswill is waste food fed to pigs. When you describe the food as pigswill, you are criticising it because of its poor quality.

‘Pig out’ is used when someone eats an enormous amount at one meal. The truth is, by nature, pigs do not over eat. In farms, pigs are stuffed with specially-planned diets to ensure fast growth.

A pigsty is an enclosed area on a farm where pigs are kept. It also refers to a very untidy and dirty house or room.

You feel ‘pigged off’ when you are angry or unhappy.


Pigs and Truffles

Truffles are underground fungi. They are very expensive because of their unique smell and taste. Truffles are used to flavour dishes, particularly in French cuisine. As they grow underground, farmers need the help of pigs or dogs to sniff them out.

Female pigs are naturally attracted to the smell of truffles because it resembles a chemical scent given off by male pigs. Most farmers now prefer to use dogs to help them locate truffles because pigs love to eat them and often gobble them up before the farmer are able to get to the well-loved truffles.