Mangalitsa Pigs

If you’re fortunate enough to be familiar with Mangalitsa pork, we’d like to share our program with you. If you haven’t yet had the experience, we’d like to make an introduction that might be life-changing.  Mangalitsa pigs are as distinctive as they are unforgettable. They are unique among swine in that they grow a wooly coat that can be mistaken for a sheep. There are three distinct color varieties, blonde, swallow-belly, and red. They were first bred in Hungary in the 1830’s, and for decades after their development, they were one of the most commonly-raised pigs in the world. As “Big Agriculture” developed commercial breeds that required less space and less time to market, and as the cooking oil companies led us to believe that animal fats are bad for us, the Mangalitsa fell out of the agricultural mainstream. The breed neared extinction in the 1990’s with fewer than 200 animals found to be in existence in Hungary. At that point, a breeding program was created, and the population was back on the rise. In the early years of the program, some animals were allowed to be exported and some of those animals eventually made their way to the United States.  As Hungary no longer allows exports of live Mangalitsa stock, it makes breeding programs here even more special. 

If you would like to read more about the history of the breed, click here for a link to the Royal Mangalitsa website. 

At Foxboro, we raise the red variety of Mangalitsa pig. Our pigs are pasture-kept, never crate-farrowed, and are raised on a natural diet designed to enhance their intrinsic flavor and marbling characteristics. While this diet consists primarily of barley and wheat, it is supplemented with natural forage that gives our Mangalitsa a finished flavor that is unique even among the breed.  Great food takes time. Our program raises pigs to reach a target weight of 275 pounds, which normally takes 12-15 months. We believe that the additional time required to raise Mangalitsa pigs compared to other breeds helps to create the amazing flavor that makes the breed world-renowned. 

Mangalitsa pigs are what is known as lard pigs, and they carry much more fat on their carcasses than commercial breeds. Everyone knows that fat = flavor, and that concept is especially evident with Mangalitsa pork. The use of lard for cooking and baking is making a strong comeback and lardo is appearing in many charcuterie programs, both of which contribute to the rising popularity of the Mangalitsa breed. Mangalitsa pork is a rich red color that can be mistaken for beef and it’s marbling is reminiscent of Japanese Kobe. Mangalitsa fat is primarily unsaturated which literally allows it to melt in your mouth.  

There is no better pork. Period.