Lost in Translation

I am not a fan of the word "faggot" used as slang for a homosexual male. I think it is an offensive, negatively weighted, and all-around ugly word. Friends have "lovingly" or "jokingly" used this term in reference to me or someone else, and each time I have to issue a verbal slap on the wrist.

However! This sign, shared with me by my dear friend Jo, was in a fish and chip shop in Porthcawl, South Wales.

It made me laugh hysterically.

Apparently, faggots are a traditional dish in the UK, especially the Midlands of England. It is a kind of meatball. It is made from meat off-cuts and offal, especially pork. A faggot is traditionally made from pig heart, liver and fatty belly meat or bacon minced together, with herbs added for flavoring and sometimes breadcrumbs. The mixture is shaped in the hand into balls, wrapped round with caul fat (the omentum membrane from the pig's abdomen), and baked.

The end result would be something like what you see below, served with mashed potatoes, peas, and gravy.



*Of course, the image search for this dish also brought up a lot of photos of a teary black-eyed Perez Hilton.