Years ago, the matança was an all important event in the calendar of the Mallorcan country folk. Sometime between November and January, the escorxador was booked to help with the killing of the pig which had been reared all year long to now be butchered.

Farming has a much lesser importance nowadays in Mallorca, but matanças and sobrassada making are still rife in many Mallorcan families. My son was invited to join a matança last Saturday. He partook in this ancient Mallorcan tradition and helped with the sobrassada making process. He brought a sobrassada home for us, but the sausage will have to air for a few weeks before it will be deemed ready for consumption.

Every single drop of blood and every single scrap of meat, fat, skin or intestines of the animal is used in the matança activity and will provide food for the family and friends, for months on end.

The main photo was taken in Caimari, Mallorca, Spain. The date: November 16th, 2008. The time was 14:10:31. The smaller photo was borrowed from the Internet. Credit is due to silvaychus. Gracias.