Cochon de lait is the Cajun French term for a pig roast

Cochon de lait
Originally uploaded by Simon Bonaventure

The pig was the universal protein source for pioneers in Louisiana. When the winter days hit their lowest temp, the men gathered to butcher the hogs. Of course, every bit of the porker was made into edible items, from snout to feet to tail.

The Cajuns have a special event called Cochon de Lait. It literally translates from French to English as "pig in milk", but would be better called a "suckling pig," says David Walker.

He says, "A Cochon de Lait is basically a cajun pig roast of a whole young pig. The pig is slow roasted for 6 to 12 hours. That is what makes a Cochon de Lait an event rather than just cooking a meal. It's an extended "male bonding", "story telling", "bull shooting", "beverage of your choice drinking", "fire tending" event!"

Today ecologists recognize that the enormous amounts of phosphates emitted by pigs endangers the environment. Phosphates drain into rivers and seas and cause "dead zones."

But scientists in Australia have found a way to get pigs to absorb phosphates. Called the Enviropig, the new swine have been genetically engineered to aborb up to 50% more phosphates, says Popular Science monthly.