Despite its distant kinship to other European black pigs, it is considered an autochthonous (indigenous) breed; the Sicilian black swine constitutes a porcine variety rather than a species or sub-species. There are fewer than two thousand of these pigs, and most find their way into somebody's ham sandwich. Indeed, the meat of the Nebrodi swine is highly prized as a specialty. Unlike San Daniele ham (made from the meat of the endangered Friulian black pig), Nebrodi ham is little known outside Italy, though there are efforts underway to market it more widely. Ham represents only a fraction of the meat derived from a large pig. Other cuts of pork are made into salted or cured products (salame), as well as steaks and sausages. Compared to most domesticated breeds, the Nebrodi pigs, perhaps owing to their affinity with wild boar, are rather lean.

The very existence of the breed is an arcane fact of agricultural life in northeastern Sicily, the only part of the island which still has expansive forests. The swine are allowed to graze and forage over wide areas, including woods, and this diet influences the meat's flavour. It also means that the pigs are sometimes mistaken for wild boar, few of which exist in Sicily today.

Boarish but never boorish, the Sicilian black swine is delicious.

About the Author: Vincenzo Mormino is active in wildlife preservation throughout Sicily. He has written about the purple swamp hen, wild cat, little egret, red fox, Sicilian tarantula and other creatures for previous issues.