...The Great Puerto Rican Pig Roast

There are some days that are so amazing that there is no way they cannot be permanently etched into memory.

The Great Puerto Rican Pig Roast is one such day.

Even though we went to the pig roast two summers ago, Ariana and I still talk about it as having been one of the best days we ever had.

The Great Puerto Rican Pig roast took place on the 3rd weekend of August at Fort Taber in New Bedford. I remember it was that particular time because that was the same time that the Civil War Weekend took place.

(Ft. Taber is quite the sparkling gem in New Bedford's treasure chest!)

We were invited to the pig roast by Jane, who was a co-worker and friend of José, our host. Jane was the mother of Liz, Ariana's friend.

José had been at the park since 6 that morning, roasting the pig on a spit inside this big barrel-type arrangement.

We could already smell the pig roasting when we arrived at 9 AM.

Because the morning started foggy and overcast ~ which is very common in seaside communities such as ours, I had taken the weather into consideration as I got dressed before we left. All too many times, an entire day would pass without the fog burning off.

Too bad I did not take that into consideration ~ although my bright daughter, Ariana did.

Surely, about an hour or two after we got there, the fog did indeed burn off, leaving us with a bright and glorious summer day. How I had wished that I had thought to wear a pair of shorts instead of long pants!

As the morning progressed, more people started arriving ~ each one bringing more food or drink for the party.

Soon, our little picnic spot was packed with people.

Latin music played was young girls danced to the beat. It was beautiful watching them dance and sway to the music.

And when a very young girl exclaimed, "Oh! That's my favorite song!" I was taken away by the fact that someone at that tender age could be excited by her cultural music, especially when most kids her age subsisted on a diet solely consisting of rap music.

It was a pleasantly slow and languorous day where we alternated between sitting on the lawn, checking on the progress of the pig, wading or swimming in the water (Watch out for the jelly fish!), and eating.

When it finally came time to serve the pig, everyone was more than ready to partake.

Ariana and I are not all that big fans of pork. But the Puerto Rican roasted pig was food for the gods! The skin was so crispy ~ seasoned delightfully with adobo and garlic. We have never tasted anything SO good.

Ariana grabbed the tail; and enjoyed it immensely.

All the food was good. And it was so great to eat real Latin food ~ Spanish rich, plantains, cucumber salad.

We were so stuffed to the gills that it was really hard to make room for dessert. But we had to!

It appears that the pig roast was also a birthday celebration. Two girls were celebrating their birthdays. So there was plenty of delicious birthday dessert.

For the life of me, I cannot remember what the birthday dessert was, because we were so overwhelmed by the pig. But I do remember that it was something that I had not seen before. And I remember that it was really good!

While the awesome food was the highlight of the pig roast, I really enjoyed being part of a cultural celebration that I would have not normally been privy too.

It did not escape my notice that Jane, Liz, Ariana, and I were the only white people there and that many of the people did not speak English.

While some may have been uncomfortable with that, it made the experience all the more real and all the more memorable.

I felt it to be an honor to be included in such a celebration. Color and language was not an issue. We were all here to celebrate!

In no way did I feel that I was not able to communicate with my fellow party goers. If anything, it gave me the opportunity to use the high school Spanish that I remembered from many, many moons ago.

Yes, I would like some cervesa (beer), but muy poquito, pro favor (very little, please) because I had to drive. And when that cool beer went down my throat on that day that wound up turning out to be hot, I gladly proclaimed that it was muy fresca (very cool and freshing) to the smiling faces who poured me my beer!

Long after the pig had been served, we saw another party arrive to the picnic area next to us. It was another Hispanic party.

Ariana and I watched someone bring a very gorgeous floral arrangement to the party. However, upon closer look, we realized that it was not flowers, but fruit!

Of course we had to go to the next party to compliment them on the fruit bouquet. Apparently such an item is a common thing to Hispanic celebrations.

Stuffed beyond belief with pig and dessert, Jane and I rested to let our meal digest as the girls continued to dance to the Latin music.

Ariana and Liz took took off to explore the park. They later returned with free ice cream that they got while flirting with the young man at the ice cream truck.

We had already been at the Great Puerto Rican Pig Roast for 9 hours!

It was time to go home.

But not before getting plates of leftovers to bring home with us!