La República Democrática del Cerdo

This is a snout-to-trotter salute to Mexico’s embrace of pigs and pork, thoughtfully composed and more than a little obsessed with all the ways the country likes its pork.

With chapters on lard and other pork fats, chicharron, charcuterie, headcheese, tacos, tortas, and more, La República Democrática Del Cerdo is not primarily a recipe book, although there are about 20 recipes at the back. 

Instead, it’s an unapologetic demonstration of how an animal which arrived almost as an afterthought with Spanish conquerors became so central to the way Mexicans eat. The chapter on headcheese calls it a misunderstood delicacy, if you want a measure of the depth of the book’s focus. (It also admits headcheese's popularity is fading).

Handsome photography of pork foods, cooks, indoor and outdoor kitchens, restaurants and markets supports the book’s assertion that pork has become part of Mexican culture and genes.

Hardcover. Color photographs throughout. In Spanish.