Spanish Immigration to taste Spanish Cuisine: Located 70 kilometers northwest of Madrid, there is an ancient city called Segovia. Roast suckling pig is a specialty of the ancient city of Segovia, where the roast suckling pig is the most authentic, and the ancient city is also well worth a visit.
The famous Spanish roast suckling pig (Cochinillo asado). Tasting this renowned dish originating from Segovia is an essential item on the Segovia travel itinerary. Almost all restaurants have adorable little pig sculptures at their entrances, either lying down or on their backs, all enticing you to eat it.
Spanish roast suckling pig belongs to Central Spanish cuisine. Unlike the crispy roast pig in China, the skin of the Spanish suckling pig is soft and chewy, making it somewhat difficult to bite through, but its meat is extremely juicy and tender. This is a handmade dish, where a 1.5-kilogram piglet is coated with butter, rosemary, and minced garlic, then placed in the oven to roast for an hour and a half, during which it is continuously basted with wine and sprinkled with pepper, requiring great patience from the chef. The resulting piglet has its fat roasted to a semi-melted state, melting in your mouth, incredibly fragrant, with a hint of herbal flavor, richer and more tender than Chinese roast suckling pig, although eating too many pieces can be overwhelming.
The famous "Three-Three Rule" of Spanish roast suckling pig.
Inside the restaurant, there are photos of many celebrities, including former U.S. President George H.W. Bush, the Governor of Texas, and American superstar Arnold Schwarzenegger. Whenever a celebrity is present, the restaurant owner personally comes out to welcome them. However, the owner's welcome ceremony is not just a few words and applause; it has its own unique charm.
The owner does not appear before the guests start their meal, but rather during the presentation of the final signature dish, which is the world-famous Spanish roast suckling pig.
Spanish roast suckling pig follows the "Three-Three Rule": strictly selecting piglets that are three weeks old (during which they can only drink their mother's milk), roasting them slowly in the oven for three hours, and diners taking three hours to enjoy it.
The owner pushes a freshly roasted suckling pig on a delicate cart in front of the guests, then holds a porcelain plate to cut three "slices" on the crispy roast pig, one horizontal and two vertical, dividing the pig into six pieces. After cutting, the meat is placed on the guests' plates, and then the porcelain plate is raised high and smashed down onto the ground with a loud "bang—", shattering the plate, and the owner turns and leaves.
The sound of the shattering plate replaces the owner's "welcome" greeting. The entire process is completed within 30 seconds, clean and efficient. This is the owner's unique welcome ceremony.
Only those who receive the plate-smashing welcome are celebrities.
Once, renowned Chinese film actor Sun Daolin and actress Qin Yi, who visited Spain, enjoyed the "plate-smashing" reception standard.