French ham lovers help save rare breed of tasty Hungarian pig
Mangalica pigs have fewer chromosomes than more popular breeds, which means bigger stores of fat rich in Omega 3 and low in cholesterol. A French farmer has built up a thriving herd
A breed of hairy Hungarian pig which had nearly disappeared in Europe is once again thriving in the hills of southeast France – ironically thanks to ham lovers who have high hopes for the animal’s famed fat.
Bruno Bluntzer, who heads the Sibilia charcuterie company, considered a temple of saucisse and other delicacies in the food-mad city of Lyons, began experimenting with Mangalica pigs after meeting a couple who were raising dozens of the rare breed.
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“I was looking for a specific pig variety that I could work with differently, because I wanted a certain taste,” Bluntzer said.
After taking over Sibilia in 2011, he met Michel and Sylvie Guidet, who had begun raising Mangalica pigs on their three hectares of land in the foothills of the Alps in La-Chapelle-du-Bard. Michel Guidet, a biochemist who worked for years in a veterinary laboratory before opening a restaurant, also had taste in mind when he decided he needed his own pigs.
“The pork we were serving our clients was dry. It had no juices, no flavour. Industrial products just aren’t edible,” he said.