Gastronomy

Not enough black suckling pig to meet Christmas demand

At the pig breeders' lunch in Sineu. | Antoni Pol

Majorca Daily Bulletin reporterSineu20/12/2018 18:04

Production of "porcelleta negra" (black suckling pig) has increased twenty per cent, but there is still insufficient to meet demand this Christmas. The president of the association of Majorcan black pig breeders, Tomeu Torres, said at a lunch in Sineu on Wednesday that it is not the case that there isn't porcelleta but that "there are more mouths to fill".

Government information shows that the number of pigs has increased by 200 to 1,300 this year. Despite this, there is a scarcity. This is attributed to growing popularity and to the success of the restaurant at Rancho Grande. Majorcan consumers do, nevertheless, continue to prefer the white pig.

The scarcity has meant a rise in price. A porcelleta negra typically costs around 60 euros from a breeder.

Producers of black pig sobrassada have also noticed an increase in demand. The president of the Majorcan sobrassada regulatory council, Jaume Ballester, explained at the Sineu lunch that demand has gone up by some fifteen per cent. He added that there haven't been problems with supply and that the price is up to three times higher than for conventional sobrassada.

Black pig producers have found it difficult to convince Majorcan consumers in the past, but these consumers are now appreciating it. White pig producers, by contrast, are less happy. The president of the white pig breeders' association, Toni Mestre, observed that this hasn't been a great year for them.