According to idntimes.com, Mangalica was first bred in Hungary. In the 1830s, the seventh child of the Roman Emperor Leopold II named Archduke Joseph Anton Johann received a gift from a Serbian prince. The gift is a Sumadija Pig. Then the Emperor mated the Sumadija Pig with Bakoni and Szalonta Pig. Finally, the Mangalica Pig was born, which had curly fur like a sheep.
There are three types of Mangalica, namely Blonde Mangalica, Swallow-Bellied Mangalica, and Red Mangalica. Blonde Mangalica has blonde fur, Swallow-Bellied Mangalica has blond fur only on the legs and belly, while Red Mangalica has reddish fur. This animal has an average body weight of 180-200 kilograms. According to Amusing Planet, Mangalica has pig fat around 60-70% of its body weight. This pig is a herbivore and only eats wheat, corn, and barley.
Mangalica is well known as the most expensive pig in the world. The meat, which contains more lard than other pigs makes the meat tender and juicy, so people love it so much. The price of one Mangalica can reach 1000 pounds or equivalent of IDR 18.6 million rupiahs.
In the 20th century, consumer demand for Mangalica declined due to the rumor that Mangalica meat contained dangerous saturated fat. In the end, breeders stopped raising Mangalica because it required high costs. However, in 1994, the Hungarian National Association began to notice a drastic decline in the Mangalica population. Then they set up a special Mangalica farm and little by little the Mangalica population increased and survived extinction.
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