Mangalica, curly king of the farms

Little, curly and looks so sweet – these are the boldest, but not the most important attributes of the undeservedly forgotten Mangalitsa. Now, it found a new place in health-conscious kitchen. With the help of László Csizmazia, chef of Cafe57 we discover the secrets of this lovely animal.

Enikő M. Tóth

Best of Budapest online | February 2, 2010

Mangalitsa is a real survivor: it thanks its former popularity to its resistance to the bad weather conditions. Its golden age started at the 19th century and lasted till the 1950’s. Although, it does not catch the prevalent diseases and has much more fat than an average pork, it grows so slowly, that a “normal” pig is more suitable to provide the growing need of the modern age.

“It reaches its full size in about 2 years, in contrast of the 7-9 months of the normal pigs” says László Cszimazia. “Its mass production is not solvable and its meat is more expensive too, so it is competitive with the normal pork only in certain categories.”

Thanks to its endurance, mangalitsa is easy to breed in a nomadic raising method, which means, that its growing not fastened by chemicals, and it is raised among nature-like conditions instead of the artificial circumstances of a piggery. “Of course it has a far more rich scale of tastes because of the natural grains, vegetables, corns. It is healthy even because of its genetic facilities themselves, but its production has strict rules as well. Without the proper documentation it cannot be distributed as mangalica”.

Although everything, made form “a traditional” pork can be made from mangalitsa as well, László Csizmazia considers it another category of meat.

“ So as “wagyu” beef could not be considered a real beef, the mangalitsa neither mangalica is a real pig, it is just an alternative for healthier diets. The meat of mangalitsa is shot by grease; the spaces between cells are full of grease instead of water. When backing, it is not the water which comes out, but the grease, which means, that it is easier to roast throughout, the only difficulty is that we have to deal with the 70-72% of fat. What is noticeable before cooking is that the surface of the meat is fatter and more slippery, than the average meat.”

As the healthy lifestyle has become fashionable mangalitsa reached its top. Perhaps it will never be a competitor of the well-known homey pig, it has still many advantages: “It is easily digestible, due to the unsaturated fatty acid, so those, who did not like pork before it will not cause any difficulties.” László Csizmazia concludes the main assets. All in all, for those, who cannot give up eating pork, but would like to lead a healthier life, mangalica is a real redemption, so this lovely, curly animal deserves its high place in gastronomy.

Have You become interested? Visit the Mangalica Festival held in Budapest in February!

 

Mangalica, curly king of the farms

Little, curly and looks so sweet – these are the boldest, but not the most important attributes of the undeservedly forgotten Mangalitsa. Now, it found a new place in health-conscious kitchen. With the help of László Csizmazia, chef of Cafe57 we discover the secrets of this lovely animal.

Enikő M. Tóth

Best of Budapest online | February 2, 2010

Mangalitsa is a real survivor: it thanks its former popularity to its resistance to the bad weather conditions. Its golden age started at the 19th century and lasted till the 1950’s. Although, it does not catch the prevalent diseases and has much more fat than an average pork, it grows so slowly, that a “normal” pig is more suitable to provide the growing need of the modern age.

“It reaches its full size in about 2 years, in contrast of the 7-9 months of the normal pigs” says László Cszimazia. “Its mass production is not solvable and its meat is more expensive too, so it is competitive with the normal pork only in certain categories.”

Thanks to its endurance, mangalitsa is easy to breed in a nomadic raising method, which means, that its growing not fastened by chemicals, and it is raised among nature-like conditions instead of the artificial circumstances of a piggery. “Of course it has a far more rich scale of tastes because of the natural grains, vegetables, corns. It is healthy even because of its genetic facilities themselves, but its production has strict rules as well. Without the proper documentation it cannot be distributed as mangalica”.

Although everything, made form “a traditional” pork can be made from mangalitsa as well, László Csizmazia considers it another category of meat. “ So as “wagyu” beef could not be considered a real beef, the mangalitsa neither mangalica is a real pig, it is just an alternative for healthier diets. The meat of mangalitsa is shot by grease; the spaces between cells are full of grease instead of water. When backing, it is not the water which comes out, but the grease, which means, that it is easier to roast throughout, the only difficulty is that we have to deal with the 70-72% of fat. What is noticeable before cooking is that the surface of the meat is fatter and more slippery, than the average meat.”

As the healthy lifestyle has become fashionable mangalitsa reached its top. Perhaps it will never be a competitor of the well-known homey pig, it has still many advantages: “It is easily digestible, due to the unsaturated fatty acid, so those, who did not like pork before it will not cause any difficulties.” László Csizmazia concludes the main assets. All in all, for those, who cannot give up eating pork, but would like to lead a healthier life, mangalica is a real redemption, so this lovely, curly animal deserves its high place in gastronomy.

Have You become interested? Visit the Mangalica Festival held in Budapest in February!