The Remaining Breeders
We visited a number of other Mangalitsa breeders, but for one reason or another don't have photos of them, or their methods of raising the Mangalitsa aren't very different from the ones already profiled.
They were all extremely nice to us. They fed us their Mangalitsa meat or other Mangalitsa products, answered our questions about raising the pigs and were very hospitable.
Marianne Flucher
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Marianne Flucher runs a restaurant/delicatessen, with attached petting zoo, in Feldbach. You can meet the relatives of the meat on your plate, if you just step out back. Besides Mangalitsa, she has a variety of endangered breeds like goats and donkeys.
She seems to raise her pigs like the Fauls - fairly lean, for fresh meat, which she prepares and serves.
Mrs. Flucher served us a wonderful dinner. We were too tired when we arrived, and still stuffed from our lunch by the Gassers, but she served us an incredible amount of food: sunchoke soup, schnitzel, loin and some whipped Mangalitsa lard. She gave us some of her wonderful whipped lard to take with us.
Mrs. Flucher's restaurant has served Arnold Schwarzenegger and other notables.
Mrs. Flucher's restaurant is a bit like the Spitzbart family's pub - she has tremendous control over the quality of the meat and how she prepares it. Unlike the Spitzbart's, she doesn't slaughter. But she explained that there is a slaughterhouse very close by, so she's able to easily transport the animals without stressing them too much.
It was great to see yet another farm/restaurant, where the owner cares so much about animal welfare and good food.
Hamedinger Family
The Hamedingers have a small organic farm in Schärding. They have some wonderful Braunvieh cows, goats, horses, chickens, rabbits and Mangalitsa pigs.
Their animals were incredibly friendly. The farm experience was like one big petting zoo. The cows and pigs seemed extremely happy and well loved. The pigs seemed to get jealous that Mr. Hamedinger was talking to Christoph Wiesner, which we found funny and surprising.
You can see videos from their farm on the videos page.
Mrs. Hamedinger served us a wonderful Mangalitsa lunch - roast neck.
Mr. Wolkinger
Mr. Wolkinger has at least one Mangalitsa boar, some sows and some other rare pigs. We stopped by his farm for a short while.
He has a big area for the sows and pigs. They have a community building that they normally stay in. When sows are pregnant and need to give birth, they run down the field somewhere and give birth. He's got structures there for them to take shelter in and deliver.
He said he has no trouble with piglet mortality, so he's doing fine.
The Rohrdorfers
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The Rohrdorfers help take care of at risk kids. The kids help to run the farm, on which they have some Mangalitsa pigs.
Mr. Rohrdorfer seems to be getting serious about making and selling cured products - they now slaughter at home, and prepare them into products. Their farmhouse is quite traditional - they hang the curing meat up in the chimney, where it is cool.
They served us some of their specialties - the best of which was Paprikaspeck. Paprikaspeck is made from the fatback - the sheet of fat that covers the pig's back. One boils the fat with salt and garlic, then covers it with paprika, and then hangs it in the cold for a few weeks (perhaps with some cold-smoking).
Mr. Rohrdorfer's Paprikaspeck had a fantastic texture and taste! Although it is almost pure fat, it really tasted light and very satisfying.
Wolfgang Pucher
Mr. Pucher raises Mangalitsa, which he markets to fine restaurants like Zum Weissen Rauchfangkehrer. He met us and took us to Zum Weissen Rauchfangkehrer, where Chef Manfred Stockner prepared and served us a Mangalitsa tasting menu.
Mr. Pucher takes two years(!) to raise his pigs. They are organic, so they only eat organic feed. He raises them to heavy weights, like Mr. Gasser, so they are good for turning in to hams.
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