Italy raises many hogs for its numerous charcuterie products, sauces and roasts but not all of these hogs are created equal. A limited few are very lucky and very special and are raised outdoors, practically in the wild. One such hog is the Cinta Senese which resides in the countryside of the Tuscan city of Siena. The Cinta Senese been grown in this area since the Middle Ages. It’s presence is even seen in a 14th century fresco painted by Ambrogio Lorenzetti, “The Allegory of Good Government” for the Palazzo Comunale of Siena.
The Cinta Senese is the only hog native to Tuscany to have survived. It is slightly different looking than many other hogs. It has a long snout, black hair and a white band or a cinta around its middle. The hogs roam free in the woods, eating grass, roots, tubers and acorns.
Specifically, the Cinta Senese’s natural habitat is around the beautiful small town of Monteriggioni, an entirely medieval hamlet enclosed within a circular wall and perched on a hill. The economy in the middle ages was based on agriculture and the raising of hogs was essential both for the products that they produced for sale as well as for the food they provided for the farmers.
The Cinta Senese is an ancient race and is now a Denominazione d’Origine Protetta (DOP). It’s official name is Suino Cinto Toscano DOP.
In the past there had been some cross breeding between different types of hogs but in the last decade, local farmers have return to raising hogs of this particular race in order to save it from extinction.
Another reason that it made such as comeback is because it has a higher percentage (57%) of “good” fat as opposed to a normal pig’s 50%, which makes the meat both tastier and healthier.
Most of the products that come from these hogs are consumed within Tuscany, a mecca for tourism all year round.
You can find these products in a number of places abroad as well. Academia Barilla, for example, offers some of these products for sale in the United States.
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