ORIGINS
The Sienese Cinto pig has existed for much longer than any of the other white breeds in northern Europe: the Large White, the Yorkshire and the Landrace. The Sienese Cinto, having been awarded DOP status, is now referred to as the Tuscan Cinto.
During the 1950s most families in Tuscany had some Cinto pigs which then were used for meat and salami. It was about this time that the White breeds were introduced, the Large White being the most prominent. The Tuscan Cinto then suffered a decline in numbers. The White pigs were much more prolific that the Cinto and ready for butchering after only 6 months, whereas the Cinto was not ready until at least 12 months.
The renewed interest in the breeding of the Tuscan Cinto is quite recent. The battle to safeguard the breed is in progress and is succeeding.
BREEDING
These pigs are bred in the wild or semi-wild. The pigs live in enclosures in the woods, but are regularly moved to new areas. Their diet is supplemented with barley flakes, high-protein beans and bran. A peculiar characteristic of the Tuscan Cinto is their love of water: during the hot summer, they love to cover themselves with mud. Breeding Tuscan Cinto pigs is quite an expensive business, as well as being able to provide them with them with the large areas of land on which to roam. At the moment, the DOP award for the meat is temporary, but it has already received ministerial approval at the European Commission.
CINTO PORK FIGHTS CHOLESTEROL
Pigs bred in the wild contain a higher percentage of unsaturated fats: mono- and poly-unsaturated of the Omega-3 and Omega-6 type.
This means that the dietetic quality of the meat from pigs bred in the wild is much better than the meat from pigs which are not. The wonderful Cinto meats are used primarily in the making of sausages, as well as ham, salami, finocchiona, lard and other types of salamis.
In order for you to further enjoy this splendid meat, we have prepared a number of products, using family recipes, such as jars of meat sauces, liver pate’ etc, which you might like also to take home with you. The contents of the jars are vacuum packed and, therefore, keep for up to 18 months.
