This document discusses several varieties of domesticated pigs and their origins. It describes the Red Wattle pig, which originated from New Caledonia and was brought to New Orleans, and has a wild, porky taste ideal for Creole cuisine. The Duroc pig traces its ancestry to New Jersey and New York, and has juicy, mild flavored meat excellent for meatballs. The Mangalitsa, also known as the Hungarian curly coat pig, has a distinctive hairy fleece and creamy white fat high in monounsaturated fats, and its meat is well marbled and doesn't shrink when cooking. The Tamworth originated in central England and is known for its large chops and belly ideal for bacon

1. Pork Varieties
As an ingredient from the larder, you can cook everything about the
pig but the oink. Domesticated pigs come from the Family Suidae of
hogs and pigs, particularly from the Sus scrofa domesticus. It produces
pork which is an excellent source of protein and the heart of many
meat dishes.
According to the Cambridge World History of Food in an article on
hogs by Daniel W. Gade, “all domesticated pigs originated from the
wild boar (Sus scrofa).” Various pork varieties are known to farmers and
consumers alike, especially the heritage varieties which have gained
popularity in the gourmet scene. Here are some hog breeds listed in
New York Magazine in an article written by Molly Langmuir on heritage
varieties of pigs.
Red Wattle
Also known as red waddle, this variety originated from New Caledonia,
a French island in the south Pacific and was brought to New Orleans by
the French, according to the breeds of livestock website of the
Department of Animal Science, Oklahoma State University (OSU). The
red wattle has lean meat and excellent flavor. It has a “wild, porky
taste that’s ideal for Creole cuisine,” writes Langmuir.
Duroc
Referred to as “red hogs” because of its red color, the Duroc pig in the
United States traces its ancestry from the Jersey Red of New Jersey and
the Duroc of New York. The British Pig Association (BPA) describes the
original boar as having “a deep body, broad ham and shoulder, and

2. quiet disposition.” Langmuir describes its meat as juicy and mild in
flavor as well as excellent in meatballs.
Mangalitsa (Mangalitza)
Also known as Hungarian curly coat, this robust breed has a distinctive
look because of its hairy fleece. It’s also called “woolly pig” or “lard
pig” (BPA). This breed is prized for its “creamy white fat,” which is high in
monounsaturated fats and stands well for long curing. According to
the BPA, “the meat is well marbled so that it is tastier and less dry than
that from more modern breeds.” It also “doesn’t shrink in the frying pan
and is excellently suited for sausages, dry sausages and smoked
sausages” (OSU).
Tamworth
Dark red and grisly, the Tamworth “originated central England in the
counties of Stafford, Warwick, Leicester, and Northhampton,”
according to the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy (ALBC). The
breed is known as a fine producer of bacon due to its “large chops
and long belly” (Langmuir). Meat from this breed is lean and fine
grained, according to the ALBC.
Other known heritage varieties include the Ossabaw, Gloucestershire
Old Spots, Berkshire and Hampshire.