Porco Bísaro is a domestic

pig breed There are hundreds of breeds of the domestic pig ''(Sus scrofa domesticus)''. List with classification and standards See also * List of sheep breeds * List of goat breeds * List of cattle breeds * Lists of domestic animal breeds Reference ...

that is native to Portugal, typically from the

Trás-os-Montes Trás-os-Montes () is a geographical, historical and cultural region of Portugal. Portuguese for "behind the mountains", Trás-os-Montes is located northeast of the country in an upland area, landlocked by the Douro and Tâmega rivers to south a ...

, Alto-Douro, Minho, and Beira regions. The Porco Bísaro was nearly extinct in the early 90’s. To revert this decline, the National Association of Breeders of Bísaro Swine (ANCSUB - '' Associação Nacional de Criadores de Suínos de Raça Bísara'') was created in 1994. Since then, ANCSUB is also responsible for the management of the respective zoo technical registry. Porco Bísaro is known as ''Bísaro'' and sometimes ''Celta'' (similarly to Galicia’s porco celta), as proposed and used by Sanson to express the antiquity of the breed. It was the only pig breed in

Northern Portugal The North Region ( pt, Região do Norte ) or Northern Portugal is the most populous region in Portugal, ahead of Lisbon, and the third most extensive by area. The region has 3,576,205 inhabitants according to the 2017 census, and its area is with ...

, Galicia, France and the British islands before the introduction of the Asian and Romanesque breeds. In 1878, Macedo Pinto described the Porco Bísaro as an animal belonging to the ''Typo Bizaro'' or ''Celta'' with the morphological characteristics mentioned above. He distinguished between two varieties within the breed, according to the

corpulence Obesity is a medical condition, sometimes considered a disease, in which excess body fat has accumulated to such an extent that it may negatively affect health. People are classified as obese when their body mass index (BMI)—a person's we ...

, color and greater or lesser amount of bristles. Pinto said they weighed from 200 to 250 kg of carcass and others between 120 to 150 kg; as for color, he says they are mostly black, also some spotted and those with white fur were called Galegos, as they come from Galicia. Molarinhos were spotted animals that had few bristles and smooth, smooth skin. The same author also mentions that they are animals of slow and late growth, difficult to fatten (only completing their growth at the age of two), producing more

lean meat Meat is animal flesh that is eaten as food. Humans have hunted, farmed, and scavenged animals for meat since prehistoric times. The establishment of settlements in the Neolithic Revolution allowed the domestication of animals such as chick ...

than fat and accumulating more in the fat than in thick blankets of

bacon Bacon is a type of salt-cured pork made from various cuts, typically the belly or less fatty parts of the back. It is eaten as a side dish (particularly in breakfasts), used as a central ingredient (e.g., the bacon, lettuce, and tomato sand ...

. In 1946, Cunha Ortigosa classifies the Porco Bísaro as one of the three national breeds. When describing the varieties within the breed, in addition to ''Galega'' and '' Beirôa'' which includes ''Molarinho'' and ''Cerdões'' types. Porco Bísaro has been awarded several

Protected Designation of Origin The protected designation of origin (PDO) is a type of geographical indication of the European Union and the United Kingdom aimed at preserving the designations of origin of food-related products. The designation was created in 1992 and its main ...

(PDO) and

Protected Geographical Indication Three European Union schemes of geographical indications and traditional specialties, known as protected designation of origin (PDO), protected geographical indication (PGI), and traditional specialities guaranteed (TSG), promote and protect nam ...

(PGI) statuses due to its exceptional meat qualities.

References

{{Reflist

External links

* Carne de Bísaro Transmontano DOP * Presunto de Vinhais IGP Porco_bísaro

* Alheira de Vinhais IGP Pig breeds originating in Portugal