The wagyu of pork: Here's what you should know about Přeštice Black Pied pork

Amaso: Guaranteed quality meat

Amaso works alongside Czech breeders of Přeštice Black-Pied pigs and Czech Fleckvieh cattle. At their plant in Jenč, just outside Prague, butchers process the meat, curing it using both wet and dry methods. They also craft sausage products following recipes from the first republic. You'll find all of this at the Naše maso butchers' shop, or at Kantýna.

"We are going against the tide with Přeštice Black Pied pork, but all we're doing is going back to the beginning and catching up with what is absolutely common in the world's best cuisines," explains Radek Chaloupka from Amaso.

"A few years ago, our colleague František Kšána presented us with pork from Preštice that none of us knew at the time. Shortly afterwards, we made a trip to New York, where we learned that lard-meat pig breeds are processed by the best chefs, who are role models for us. The same thing is happening in London." The fat contained on the surface and inside the muscle gives the meat its unmistakable character; František Kšána calls it "a touch of prettiness". This pork is unrivalled in flavour, tenderness and fullness.

Přeštice Black Pied pork is a unique Czech product

"The pork that we source for our customers comes from Czech farms. Moreover, it is a breed bred by our ancestors in this country, which you won't find anywhere else in the world," emphasises Radek Chaloupka. The Přeštice Black Pied pig was bred in the 19th century by crossing a local Czech breed with old English and German breeds imported after 1850 to the Preštice, Klatovy and Domažlice regions.

Most of the pigs were black or black-eyed and lop-eared, and this is also the case here. Its meat was traditionally used to produce the famous 'Prague ham'.

Taste vs profit

Unfortunately, in the twentieth century, the breeding of pigs with a higher back fat layer was suppressed in favour of heavily fleshed pigs, as they brought a quicker profit. In the Czech Republic, only a few enthusiasts breed the slower-growing and therefore 'economically disadvantageous' pigs, for example in the Mladotice district of Plzeň. "We personally know all the breeders from whom we take pigs," adds Radek Chaloupka.

Where can you taste it?

In Prague, you'll find Přeštice Black Pied pork on the plates in Cafe Savoy, the grill of Brasileiro, Pasta Fresca offers pork chops, La Degustation Bohême Bourgeoise serves ham, and ham hock or flank with bone at Čestr, where it is cooked for a long time at a low temperature. Whole halves go to the Naše maso butcher shop, and you can either buy online to take home or have it grilled on the spot.