What do you call a pig that looks like a sheep? It turns out the answer is simply a Mangalitsa.
For those unfamiliar with the Mangalitsa (also commonly called Mangalica pigs) it is a breed of domestic pig which originated in Hungary.
The breed is heavily hair-covered – reminding a lot of the wool of a sheep.
The pigs were historically bred by Hungarian farmers with breeding started in the Austro-Hungarian Empire where farmers developed the curly haired pig crossing the Bakony and Szalonta with European wild boar, and the Sumadija breed from Serbia.
The Mangalitsa breed was officially recognized in Europe in 1927.
Jump ahead to the present and the Mangalitsa – at least the Red Mangalitsa – can be found at Eh Farms near Stathmore, Alta.
Christina Stender operates the farm, and explained it was a bit of a journey before taking the plunge to acquire her first Mangalitsas.
Stender told Prairie Hog Country she studied Agriculture at the University of Guelph, majoring in Animal Science, moving to Alberta after graduating. She became an agronomist in southern Alberta, but her and husband Andy also knew they wanted to farm in some fashion.
Finally acquiring the dream of farm near Stathmore it opened the door to buying some pigs.
In her research before purchasing any animals Stender said she came across the Mangalitsa and was immediately intrigued.
Certainly the unique look – all that curly hair – was part of it, but Stender added “other things drew to me the breed like it’s history. The history is really cool.”
Stender said while the Mangalitsa was highly-prized for its lard after its development the demand for lard drastically declined post World War II, and by 1990 fewer than 200 Mangalitsa pigs remained in Hungary and Austria. The breed faced extinction, but a concerted effort to save the Mangalitsa was initiated.
In 2007, 24 Swallow Bellied Mangalitsa gilts and two boars were imported into the USA.
Coming out of the reestablishment effort three strains of the breed emerged, the blonde, the swallow-belly and the rarest red Mangalitsa. It was the latter Stender finally settled on making a modest importation of stock – a bred gilt and unrelated boar — from a breeder in California in 2016.
The Red Mangalitsa pigs are considered a heritage breed – meaning that they were raised by our forefathers dating all the way back to the 1800s, details ehfarms.ca
For hundreds of years this beautiful breed was recognized in Europe and was used for their curly hairs, fat, and delicious meat! In 1989, Manga’s were on the brink of extinction, but were rescued by an animal geneticist. Although the breed is back on the animal kingdom map, it is still considered a luxury to many and has even been labelled as the ‘Kobe beef’ of pork products… truly unbeatable!
The breed remains a fat one with back-fat usually 3-3.5 inches, which Stender said is a big part of the pork’s flavour profile, but also necessitates a different approach to preparation, noting it can be medium rare when cooked. It is a situation which she is very hands-on in marketing the meat to ensure customers are prepared to enjoy the pork.
Animals are generally raised to two-years before being processed for meat sales.
Stender told PHC because of the heritage nature of the breed – and it’s scarcity today – there is more to raising the Red Mangalitsa than raising them to sell for meat.

While Eh Farm certainly markets Mangalitsa meat to area customers – including to high-end restaurants in Calgary and Canmore, Stender said she is dedicated to preserving the breed.
Stender said she is always willing to talk about the breed and does sell breeding stock to those who are ready to raise Mangalitsa in a way which suits the uniqueness of the breed.
Part of that effort is promoting the breed and its pork, which is accomplished with farm tours.
“I do quite a lot of education tours,” said Stender.
And each August a day Stender termed ‘Pigstock’ is held. It is an event held on-farm each August focusing on Hungarian heritage with visiting dancers and a farmers’ market.
The day Stender was interviewed she said there were 68 Red Mangalitsa on the farm, about half the highest number reached. Stender said it was a conscious decision to reduce numbers because when it grew to near 150 she could not spend the time with each animal she wanted. Not every animal was being treated equally – some maybe missing the daily belly rub Stender said she wants to give.
The attention has even meant ‘spooning’ with a small gilt which was bred by surprised – an event she told her husband “was her best day”.
“I want then happy, healthy and living their best life,” she said, adding at a somewhat low herd number she can ensure that “. . . and I’m not stressing.”
Part of the happy living for the Stender Mangalitsa is that they are generally pasture raised – although winter-farrowings are in a barn.
“Manga’s are known for their free-range, foraging, and natural diet – one of the reasons why the pork and lard produced from these pigs is so healthy to add to our own diets, noted their website. These local pigs forage around our Alberta farm, eating a natural diet filled with vegetables, fruits, and grains, in addition to the nutrients they find on the ground. Because the pigs spend most of their time in the pasture snacking, they get nice and plump, a key part in what makes their meat so tasty!”
Stender, her husband Andy and sons Aubrey and Easton have of course grown the operation beyond the Mangalitsa, with hens for laying and raising ducks and rabbits for meat. •
— By Calvin Daniels

All photos supplied from Eh Farm