On Friday evening,
Slow Food Columbus's Chairman of the Board Bear Braumoeller joined butcher Tim Struble from Columbus's
North Market and pitmaster
Jim Budros (co-founder of Columbus's
City Barbeque) in preparing and cooking two hogs for Columbus's Downtown Luau. But these weren't just any hogs, they were
Red Wattle hogs, an
Ark of Taste food in danger of extinction. Red Wattles are currently listed as "
critically endangered,"
with less than 200 annual registrations and less than 2000 in existence
around the world. With the biodiversity of our food system continuing
to dwindle, it's becoming more and more important to reverse the trend by creating a demand
for them; without it, there's no reason for a shop to source them and by
extension for farmers to raise them. Yesterday's luau provided a wonderful opportunity to not only showcase the hogs, but to also foster a communal, Columbus celebration of food, drink and the upcoming start of summer.
