We are proud to have developed the Blackbeard’s line of Mangalitsa Pork, considered the tastiest pork in the world. Because, why not? We love pork, we wanted the best.

Mangalitsa’s are a heritage breed; our stock comes from Hungary and Austria. They are a ‘lard- type’ pig; on average 65-70% of the carcass is fat, and lean meat is only 30 – 35% of the carcass, compared to over 50% in modern breeds. The meat of the Mangalitsa pig is highly marbled with creamy white fat and is high in omega-3 fatty acids and natural antioxidants. Their lard is considered a delicacy; it is lighter, and melts at a lower temperature, than lard from other pigs, because it contains more unsaturated fat.

Mangalitsa’s were nearly lost to extinction in the 1990’s, as lard had fallen out of favor. Thankfully dedicated farmers brought them back, and now their population, while still rare, has stabilized. We are raising our pigs in line with the stewardship ethic that guides everything we do. Animal care is critical to us; our pigs are free range and forage to their hearts’ content while being raised in an environmentally sound fashion (we recycle all nutrients and organic matter). We raise purebred Mangalitsa’s and Mangalitsa-Hereford cross.

We wanted a restaurant worthy of this amazing meat, and we found it at the Beach Bistro on Anna Maria Island. Our pigs are raised on ranch and processed under USDA inspection. All of this is done in southwest Florida. The partnership with Beach Bistro and the guidance of owners Sean Murphy and Susan Timmins has been invaluable in bringing this local but world – famous pork to Florida.

See https://www.royal-mangalitsa.com/ to learn more about this very special pig.