So goes the closing line of that famous mariachi ballad "Chee-chee, Cha-cha." The song (and dance) devoted to the ever popular delicacy of chicharrones, originally recorded in 1923 by Los Hermanos Blogoyas. The song immortalized the ever popular delicacy of fried swine skin and helped spread its popularity from its origins in Mexico all the way north thru the Dirty Souf and beyond.
The original lyrics were actually written in 1902 and credited to Ronaldo Chaqueta-Sucio not long after the miracuolous invention of chicharones by his good friend and neighbor of, Eduardo Dosperritos.
Popular legend has it that Dosperritos turned tragedy into triumph one night in the little town of San Flakos Oros when he made the best of an unfortunate barnyard shaving mishap and created chicharrones. Greasing up his favorite pig, Esmerelda, for a good clean shave the night before he planned to take her to the fall village festival and annual puerco-prize show, disaster struck and fate intervened. With two hands firmly gripping the haunchs of Esmerelda he stumbled backwards on a log and the pig slipped from his grip and flew into the fire he had lit to see by. A horrific squeal went up heard by all the neighbors and though he valiantly risked severe burns to save her, the poor beast was doomed.
But not all was lost. DP peeled the skin off the blistering carcasse in the hopes of salvaging enough to make one of the traditional authentic skin pinatas of yore to be enjoyed by los ninos the next day. But upon arriving at the fair a pack of hungry vagabundos descended on the burlap sack containing the remains of Esmerelda before Senor Dosperritos could find the town taxidermist. "Delicioso!" the huérfanos declared and soon Dosperritos was recounting the recipe which rapidly spread throughout his hometown of San Flakos Oros and the greater Sur.
(Of course some jealous familias who claim it was there bisabuelos who invented chicharones will give you a much different and slanderous account of what the alleged baracho Dosperritos was really doing out there late at night in the campo with that grease on his hands. The Papr*Papr refuses to proliferate such beastly hearsay though)
Forever after Chicharones have been enjoyed by each new generation of southerners the world over. This author indeed has cherished memories of being fed his first fluffy bits of pork rinds while perched atop his father's shoulders at the Grundy County flea market (la verdad).
So with that history divulged we get to the real meat of this post and my most recent rediscovery of this sweet and savory snack of the south. The sponsors of the Papr*Papr present to you a handy buyers guide and consumer rating for the products on the market.
Both of these brands and the varied flavors can be found in gas stations wherever "y'all" is common vernacular. These four samples were all purchased at the same store along I-59 somewhere in Mississippi on the author's most recent jaunt home to Tennessee
Baken-etS is a frito-lays subsidary and manufactured in Plano, TX. This BBQ flavor is a safe and classic way to go (although not truly the "original" plain unflavored variety which were passed over by the juror.) Take a moment to ponder the word Baken-etS and admire not only the symmetry of the B and S but also the fine drop shadow. Well worth your 79 cents.
Like the Flintstones meet the Jetsons, who doesn't love a little multi-brand combo? Louisiana hot sauce ranks high on my favorites list of tableside salsas way above the vinegary mess of Tabasco, and on par with that rangling rascal Texas Pete. Unfortunately this combination is best described as a mongrel-amalgo. What seemed like a good idea ended up being a poor mismatch. I guess the bottle and the bag are best kept seperate.
Apart from the Blogoyas Brothers song, the history of the Chicharrones has inspired plenty of art over the years. This bag is a classic example evidenced by the use of multiple type faces and and the graphic logos. Note the flames over the block letters, the use of fluoroscent orange to highlight the affordable price, and the subtle stamp of approval from the USDA. Yes the advantages of a diet that includes fried pork skin are loud and clear on this packaging. A great source of graphic design and no carbohydrates! this bag can clearly be traced back to the influence of Gustav Posada, one of the grandsons of the mexican printmaker Jose Posada, and a legendary diseñador de Chee-Chees bolsos. He created some of the most classic letterpressed chicharrones bag designs of the early 1920's. Due to the inarchival nature of pig grease however few of these bags remain. Today they are highly treasured among collectors and have been generously appraised before on PBS's Antique Roadshow.
Sweet Heat. Mi amor, la mejor. With a name like that how could you go wrong? The term "sweet heat" of course originally comes from the lyrics of the "Chee-Chee, Cha-Cha" and the recounting of Eduardo's love for his pig: "And so Esmerelda did dance away into the fire/ leaving him burning with the sweet heat of desire." Here it is used to describe the subtle sweet and spicy flavoring that this lovely shade of orange rinds has to offer. Golden Flake provides the best buy and the best flavor with this one.So there you have it folks. Armed with this knowledge, I encourage to go out and explore the wonderful world of Crunchy Pig Dermis that awaits you. Like biting ito a crispy cloud of heaven, chicharrones will fill you up and ease you down into a nice swine skin induced nap filled with sweet dreams of our snouted breathren. Bon Apetit.
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