French ham fans bring pigs back from the brink

LA CHAPELLE-DU-BARD, France - A breed of hairy Hungarian pig which had nearly disappeared in Europe is once again thriving in the hills of southeast France - ironically thanks to ham lovers who have high hopes for the animal's famed fat.

Bruno Bluntzer, who heads the Sibilia charcuterie company, considered a temple of saucisse and other delicacies in the food-mad city of Lyon, began experimenting with Mangalitza pigs after meeting a couple who were raising dozens of the rare breed.

"I was looking for a specific pig variety that I could work with differently, because I wanted a certain taste," Bluntzer said.