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Quality and Prestige

"The difference lies in the purity of the breed of our pigs, which is the reason for its great value"

The black alentejano pig

The unique quality of the black Alentejano pig is the main commercial advantage of this product against the pink or crossed breed pigs. The quality of the black pig products stands out for their sensoric characteristics and their nutritional value, especially the composition of their fats. These quality characteristics derive from two fundamental factors: the breed and the rearing. A hereditary condition of the black pig causes more fat to be integrated into their muscles, a property that has been maintained as there was no cross-breeding with other breeds. This explains the mottling of the meat, its succulence, consistency and its incomparable taste and unique fragrance.

The resistance of the breed allows extensive farming which is distinguished by the nutrition and free roaming. When there are no acorns the pigs are fed with cereals, high-protein plants and grass or high quality pellets made especially for meat-producing animals.

The fattening-up phase before the butchering always happens in the open range with acorns and grass. According to nutritional science the great advantage of this meat lies in the quality of the fats. Contrary to other animal fats the black pig´s fat contains many unsaturated fats with a high percentage of single unsaturated fatty acids which can alleviate or prevent cardiovascular disease. The fat of pigs that have been fed acorns is rich in fatty acids, which is a source of  „good cholesterol“, much like salmon, sardines and mackerel.