BASED ON MY VISIT AT ZSÓKA FEKETE MANGALICA FARM

It's not easy to find premium meat and charcuterie. The majority of pork has been bred to be extremely fast-growing and low in fat and as a result of this, the meat lost its flavor and value. The native Hungarian swine breed, called Mangalica is the opposite of factory-raised pork with its rich, dark meat and creamy white fat. 


I love to cook with quality ingredients and of course, share their sources with you. But probably it's even more interesting to see 'behind the scenes' moments of a successful entrepreneur like Zsóka Fekete. If you discover an enthusiastic farmer, who knows that the key to success is based on the comfort, health, and happy life of her animals, probably you will never choose lower quality products again. 


During my last visit to Hungary, I've had the chance to meet Zsóka in person. After she told her story and interesting facts about the industry we finally visited the Mangalicas on the farm too. Read about my experience in this new episode of the 'Behind The Scenes' post series.

Blonde Mangalica Sows - Photo by © Reka Csulak

Blonde Mangalica Sows - Photo by © Reka Csulak

The one and only


Zsóka worked abroad in the top stalls of England as a qualified horse trainer then she continued her studies and graduated as a Food Engineer, Food Science Translator, and Professional Horse Riding Teacher. She learned a lot about bio-agriculture in Denmark and Food science in the Netherlands. After her studies on product processing, in 2012, Zsóka decided to expand their existing family agriculture business. Her family has over 65 hectares of organic land that provides grains and vegetables, so her plan was to buy some pigs and turn a part of these goods into something great. This is how it happened that she set up her own Mangalica farm near her hometown, Hajdúböszörmény.

Zsóka Fekete with her Mangalica pigs - © Zsóka Fekete

Zsóka Fekete with her Mangalica pigs - © Zsóka Fekete

Zsóka became a member of the National Association of Mangalica Farmers and on their proposal, she had the chance to purchase a stock of 20 blond Mangalica sows. The sows arrived on a cold winter day and she got the information at the last minute that half of them were pregnant. One week later she had more than 50 Mangalica pigs and faced the fact that her pig stock escalated in an unexpected phase.


Nowadays the farm has a stock of more than 350 pigs and 50 sows and 4 boars and she became the one and only Mangalica farmer lady of Hungary.


The brand is using her name, but Zsóka always highlights she wouldn't be where she is now without the supporting work of her family members. Her father is producing the organic forage for the pigs, her mom is working on important tenders. Her grandpa helped a lot too with his knowledge about pigs and her grandma with her market experience.

Mangalica Piglet - Photo by © Reka Csulak

Mangalica Piglet - Photo by © Reka Csulak

Mangalica wellness


To produce quality meat is crucial to provide quality feed and the best living conditions possible to the animals. The pigs have contact with farm personnel, can eat from their hand, have the chance to enjoy mud wellness, and both open-air and protected areas on their enclosure together with specially manufactured water taps provide water that never gets dirty.


The sows are living in small groups together with their piglets. Each group has a large enclosure and fresh, dry straw. The striped piglets are eating, playing, and sleeping whenever they wish. It is worth standing there and watching them for a while, they are so funny and smart.

Happy Mangalica Piglets - Photo by © Reka Csulak

Happy Mangalica Piglets - Photo by © Reka Csulak

As Zsóka told me, the boars have been provided by the National Association of Mangalica Farmers to avoid inbreeding. Each boar has its private enclosure and based on Zsóka's decision, a sow visits them every now and then.


Probably most of us agree on the following: "you are what you eat". The reason why we humans prefer organic products is quite simple: it's good for our health to eat less pesticides, hormones, and antibiotics with any food.


Imagine, that the pig you eat obtains the same quality food. The forage that these Mangalicas get is a part of Zsóka's own produced and her father's organic grains: barley, wheat, triticale, peas, sunflower, green fodder: alfalfa, pumpkin.


She told me it's perfectly safe to eat this granulated forage, so I've tried one, it has a lovely cereal-like taste. It's very unique too in pig farming, that Zsóka's Mancalicas don’t eat any soybeans since this product easily can be a GMO (genetically modified organism) and it increases the water level of the meat which is not ideal.

Organic Forage - Photo by © Reka Csulak

Organic Forage - Photo by © Reka Csulak

The other important thing you probably didn't know, is that after they become sexually mature, the meat of male pigs turns into something you don't really want to eat with a good appetite since it has an unpleasant taste and scent. The way farmers avoid this happening is simple castration. It totally works in Hungary and many other countries since this quick process is performed by professionals. Zsóka qualified as a Veterinary Assistant so she can perform every necessary veterinary task on the farm, including vaccination and castration.


But in some countries where castration is banned by the law -unfortunately in the UK too-, they process these male pigs too early, or what is even worse: they treat the young male pigs with specific hormones you will eat together with the meat. It's not difficult to imagine the negative effect on your health. This is why it is worth to make a little research about the origin of the meat you put on your table and supporting smaller farms with transparency instead of mass-production.

Mangalica Piglets - Photo by © Reka Csulak

Mangalica Piglets - Photo by © Reka Csulak

Curious Mangalica Pigs - Photo by © Reka Csulak

Curious Mangalica Pigs - Photo by © Reka Csulak

Sitting - Photo by © Reka Csulak

Sitting - Photo by © Reka Csulak

Award-winning products


The meat of Mangalica is extremely tasty, well-marbled and it's perfect for roasting, grilling, and braising too but this breed mainly provides fat compared to meat which is only about 20% of the animals. Mangalica is higher in monounsaturated fat than any other domesticated animal, has high levels of natural antioxidants and Omega-3 and Omega-6 essential fatty acids and the high levels of monounsaturated fat have also been proven to be a great way to decrease LDL cholesterol while increasing HDL cholesterol. This is superb because it reduces the chance of heart attack or other circulatory disorders.


Hungarian cuisine prefers lard compared to the oil but unfortunately, my generation is not brave enough to use it in their everyday cooking. I love how it turns the dishes even more delicious and I use it quite often for deep frying, searing, and of course for one-pot dishes as well as classic pastries so I would like to encourage you to purchase some quality lard from a trustworthy source and replace oil with it when you prepare a favorite dish. I bet you will notice the difference.

Award Winning Farmer - © Zsóka Fekete

Award-Winning Farmer - © Zsóka Fekete

The farm gained recognition by participating in events, exhibitions, and professional conferences in Hungary and abroad too. While complying with the “From farm to fork” principle Zsóka is processing the Mangalica meat into a wide range of products using traditional “Hajdúsági” recipes. She offers fresh meat and varied charcuteries too, like smoked sausage, chitterlings, bacon, greaves, lard and greaves spread, salami, and ham.


The products of Zsóka were awarded the Hajdu-Bihar County Quality Product Award and since 2013 the products won prizes on the National Mangalica Festivals. Click here to see the complete list of their awards. 

Smoked Mangalica Bacon - Photo by © Reka Csulak

Smoked Mangalica Bacon - Photo by © Reka Csulak

Mangalica Lard - Photo by © Reka Csulak

Mangalica Lard - Photo by © Reka Csulak

Mangalica Greaves Spread - Photo by © Reka Csulak

Mangalica Greaves Spread - Photo by © Reka Csulak

The farm gained recognition by participating in events, exhibitions, and professional conferences in Hungary and abroad too. While complying with the “From farm to fork” principle Zsóka is processing the Mangalica meat into a wide range of products using traditional “Hajdúsági” recipes. She offers fresh meat and varied charcuteries too, like smoked sausage, chitterlings, bacon, greaves, lard and greaves spread, salami, and ham.


The products of Zsóka were awarded the Hajdu-Bihar County Quality Product Award and since 2013 the products won prizes on the National Mangalica Festivals. Click here to see the complete list of their awards.


What is very unique, is that at the fairs, local markets, or national events you can meet Zsóka in person, she is always behind the stall. If someone's become successful but doesn't forget to be available for their customers and fans is something I always appreciate and respect. Fortunately, Zsóka is open to discussions and always loves to share her knowledge about her animals and products.


If you are interested to visit the farm or enjoying a delicious lunch in a beautiful folklore house, focused on Mangalica products then browse these various services. They also give the opportunity for students to visit and learn about animal husbandry, animal welfare, and food processing straight from the farmer.

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