Suckling pig

Slaughtered piglets in Madrid market
Roast sucking-pigs, Segovia, Spain
Sucking-pig served at St John restaurant, London

A sucking-pig (BrE) or suckling pig (AmE) is a piglet fed on its mother's milk (i.e., a piglet which is still being "suckled"). In culinary contexts, a sucking-pig is slaughtered before the end of its second month. Celebrated since Greek and Roman times, it is traditionally cooked whole, usually roasted, in various cuisines, and is often prepared for special occasions and gatherings.

A variation is popular in Spain and Portugal and their former empires under the name lechón (Spanish) or leitão (Portuguese), but the dish is common to many countries in Europe, the Americas and east Asia. Its popularity in Britain and the US has declined since the 19th century.

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