Head cheese

[1] Somewhat similar to a jellied meatloaf,[1] it is made with flesh from the head of a calf or pig (less commonly a sheep or cow), typically set in aspic.

[2] Historically, meat jellies were made of the head of an animal, less its organs, which would be simmered to produce a naturally gelatinous stock that would congeal as the dish cooled.

Earlier brawns heavily featured spices and herbs, but beginning in the eighteenth century, the amount of seasoning was reduced.

[4] The term hoofdkaas can be divided into hoofd ('head') originating from the animal heads commonly used to prepare the dish, and kaas ('cheese') describing the texture, which resembles that of cheese.

[1] At one point, in English, it referred to the meat of the wild boar, then abundant in Great Britain, from which this jellied dish was made.

In southern China, xiao rou (肴肉) is made by boning and pickling pig trotters with brine and alum.

[24] In northeastern China, a jellied pork skin dish is often made and served with a spicy soy sauce and vinegar mixture with crushed garlic and red chili powder.

Traditionally, giò thủ is wrapped in banana leaves and compressed in a wooden mold until the gelatin in the pig's ears bind it together.

[26] The cooked meat or trimmings are cut into bite-sized pieces and soaked in a brine made of water, lime juice, cucumbers, hot pepper, salt and specially prepared seasonings.

The large Eastern European community in the province also has a (declining) tradition of making jellied meat at home, usually from pigs' feet, and this is called studenetz in the local dialect of the Ukrainian language.

Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, and other portions of the Upper Midwest, United States: Head cheese and sulze are both made from pork snouts and tongues, but head cheese often uses larger chunks of smoked meat, while sulze generally uses unsmoked, chopped meat and has added vinegar and pickles.

Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and other portions of the Deep South, United States: The highly seasoned hog's head cheese is very popular as a cold cut or appetizer.

Quebec, Canada: Called tête fromagée, it is commonly available in grocery stores and butcher shops along with cretons and terrines.