Friday, June 26, 2009

Mangalitsa listed by "Daily Fork" as one of 2009's in Vogue Foods

The Daily Fork lists Mangalitsa, along with things like fennel pollen and grass fed lamb as "In Vogue Food Items of 2009".

I'm happy that Mangalitsa attracted their attention.

There is a big difference between Mangalitsa and the other listed items like grass-fed lamb or fennel pollen: that other stuff has been around, but its popularity has recently increased. Mangalitsa, in contrast, is new to the Western Hemisphere. It is quite rare now, but there's reason to think, based on European lard-type pork production figures and the embrace of Mangalitsa by quality-sensitive consumers, that Mangalitsa can develop a lasting presence in America.

The stage we are at with Mangalitsa is something like Wagyu in the 1990s: appearing in high-end restaurants. Right now, The French Laundry (Yountville, CA), The Herbfarm (Woodinville, WA) and Monsoon (Seattle, WA) serve Mangalitsa regularly.

In the end, I think Mangalitsa will have a bigger impact on American eating habits than Wagyu, because we will process Mangalitsa into convenient foods like salami.

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