Berkshire (Kurobuta)
The main differences between regular and Berkshire pork are the taste, meat quality, tenderness, and fat. Regular pork comes from the American Landrace pigs versus the Japanese or English hogs. The flavor of Berkshire meat is much more juicy, flavorful, and tender than that of other pigs.
Berkshire pork comes from a heritage breed pig. With a long history that goes back some 300 years in England, this black-and-white pig is highly regarded for juicy, tender, and flavorful pork which is heavily marbled with fat. Known as Kurobuta pork in Japan, Berkshire is to pork what wagyu is to beef. Berkshire pork looks and tastes like no other pork meat. Unlike commodity pork or “The Other White Meat”, Berkshire pork is visibly different. It has a darker, richer color with an abundance of intramuscular marbling- comparable to prime beef. Its flavor is distinctive with an unparalleled tenderness for pork.
Mangalitsa
A pig wrapped in a woolly fleece might sound whimsical, but the curly-haired hog exists in the form of Mangalitsa pigs. And they produce a meat so delicious it's been hailed as the Kobe’ beef of pork.
Mangalitsa pigs were historically raised for lard and prized for their mellow, silky fat. Their popularity declined with the substitution of cheaper vegetable oils for lard, and the availability of hogs that were leaner, faster-maturing and less expensive, but also less flavourful. Purebred Mangalitsas nearly vanished until a Hungarian geneticist worked to revive the breed several years ago. As already mentioned, one of the chief differences between Mangalitsa and normal pork is its fat content and profile. Normal pork has a higher proportion of polyunsaturated fats, while Mangalitsa is heavier on the monounsaturated variety, giving it a melt-in-the-mouth feel. Its lard actually melts at room temperature, making it easier for your body to process than other fats, and providing a very unique sensory experience. But the breed overall has a significantly lower amount of saturated fats than most commercial breeds. Pork in general is high in vitamins and minerals, especially vitamin B1 (thiamine) and zinc, and Mangalitsa meat is no exception in this regard.
