 Faggots, gravy, mashed potatoes andmarrowfat processed peas | |
| Course | Main dish |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | United Kingdom |
| Region or state | England andWales |
| Serving temperature | Hot |
| Main ingredients | Pig's heart, liver, fatty belly meat or bacon |
Faggots aremeatballs made from minced off-cuts andoffal (especiallypork, and traditionally pig's heart, liver andfatty belly meat orbacon) mixed withherbs and sometimesbread crumbs.[1] It is atraditional dish in theUnited Kingdom,[2][3] especiallySouth andMid Wales and theEnglish Midlands.[1][4][5]
Faggots originated as a traditional cheap food consumed by country people in WesternEngland, particularly westWiltshire and theWest Midlands.[6] Their popularity spread from there,[citation needed] especially toSouth Wales in the mid-nineteenth century, when many agricultural workers left the land to work in the rapidly expanding industry and mines of that area.Faggots are also known as "ducks" inYorkshire,Lincolnshire andLancashire, often as "savoury ducks". The first use of the term in print was in theManchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser of Saturday 3 June 1843, a news report of a gluttonous man who ate twelve of them.[7]
Commonly, a faggot consists of minced pork liver and heart, with onion and breadcrumbs. The mixture is shaped by hand into small balls, wrapped withcaul fat (theomentum membrane from the pig's abdomen) and baked. Faggots may also be made with beef.[8] Another variation of the faggot is pig'sfry (testicles) wrapped in pig's caul: the pig's fry and boiled onions are minced (ground) together, then mixed with breadcrumbs or cold boiled potatoes, seasoned with sage, mixed herbs and pepper, all beaten together and then wrapped in small pieces of caul to form a ball. They are baked in the oven, and usually served cold.[9]
The dish gained popularity during therationing in World War II, but declined over the following decades.[8] The "nose-to-tail eating" trend has resulted in greater demand for faggots in the 21st century; British supermarket chainWaitrose once again sold beef faggots from 2014.[8] In 2018, it was estimated that "tens of millions" of faggots were eaten every year.[10]
The use of the word "faggot" has caused misunderstanding due to itsAmerican English meaning as apejorative term for a homosexual man. In 2004, a radio commercial for the UK supermarket chainSomerfield, in which a man rejects his wife's suggested dinner saying "I've got nothing against faggots, I just don't fancy them" was found to have been innuendo which breached the Advertising and Sponsorship Code and was banned by the industry regulatorOfcom.[11][12] In November 2013, it was reported that BritishFacebook users had been blocked temporarily for using the word, in its culinary sense, on the website. Facebook said that the word had been misinterpreted.[13][14]
A 'faggot' was described as being composed of pieces of meat, with fat and gristle in it. A verdict of 'Death from natural causes' was returned.[dead link] (payment required)
