The Hungarian National Mangalica Breeders Association exports 70% of the meat produced.

Asia and America are the main regions in which Mangalica pig farmers in Hungary ship most of their products. 70% of all pork barbecue meat is exported to regions such as Asia and America, and Japanese hospitality is one of the most important sales channels.

The success lies in the fat content of the pig, which is almost 70% of its weight. “The ratio of meat and fat in the barbecue is directly opposite to other pigs: it is 30% lean meat and 70% fat. We Hungarians, although we love to cook bacon or eat bread and fat, still we don’t really like fatty meat. ”

Meanwhile, only the most expensive, elite restaurants in the world put Mangalica in first place, while the Spaniards buy it for high-quality ham, ”explains Attila Vig, partner in communications for the association.

30% of the meat produced remains in the country and is used in products such as sausages, salami and bacon. Nevertheless, copying the trend from Japan, where pork barbecue is often served in high-end restaurants, Hungarian chefs began to create dishes from this pig meat.

In addition, the Hungarian National Breeders Association Mangalica hopes to push the product further and open the street food market for this meat. “We have a double goal: we want to convince both processors and consumers that the meat of barbecue is not only competitive in the most expensive restaurants, but also as a street food,” added Mr. Wiig.

Pig breed Mangalitsa

It is noteworthy that the breed represents only 2% of the national pig population.