Mangalica Pig

The Mangalica pig, often also spelled Mangalitza, is one of the oldest indigenous pig breeds in Europe.

The Mangalica pigs are notable for their dense, curly hair. This breed is robust and ideally suited for year-round extensive free-range farming. The medium-sized animals graze in oak forests, marshy areas, and wastelands and are also used for biological forest floor restoration. From the 1950s, breeds with leaner meat displaced the Mangalica pigs as a lard breed, but today the Mangalica is considered a critically endangered livestock breed. It is managed by ARCHE Austria and bred in a conservation breeding program. Mangalica pigs come in three color variations: blond, red, and swallow-bellied, with the piglets showing the typical wild boar stripes. High-quality, tender, and relatively dark Mangalica meat is primarily used to make sausages, bacon, and lard products.