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PGI — Label Rouge — Aquitaine
A heavy pig fed on maize from the Gascon country — the tradition of milhoc that creates all the flavour of the South.
Pork from Aquitaine, PGI (IGP) since 2013.
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Porc du Sud-Ouest traces its roots to the centuries-old agricultural tradition of three former regions: Aquitaine, Midi-Pyrénées, and Poitou-Charentes. Maize, brought back from the Americas by Christopher Columbus at the very end of the 15th century, is recorded in the Adour basin as early as 1523; its cultivation then spread across the Sud-Ouest over the course of the 17th and 18th centuries, to the point of becoming the benchmark grain for fattening pigs — a "maize-pig model" already described in 1700 by the intendant Lebret. The Sud-Ouest thus developed a tradition of the porc maïzeur — heavier than the standard French pig, destined for fine charcuterie (jambon de Bayonne, sausages, confits). In 2013, the Protected Geographical Indication officially recognised this regional excellence, anchored alongside the Jambon de Bayonne PGI and the Porc au Grain and Porc Fermier du Sud-Ouest Label Rouge certifications.
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Porc du Sud-Ouest is the animal of the historic fête du cochon, long known as "la Sens Porc" in Rouergue or "le Pèle-Porc" in the Adour basin: a winter ceremony of slaughter, butchering, and preparation of ham, sausages, and confits, which the fairs and markets of Bayonne, Dax, or Garris have documented since 1255 (sale of hams and pigs' tongues at Saint-Geours-d'Auribat). A symbol of rural self-sufficiency, generosity, and passed-down craftsmanship, this Sud-Ouest pig embodies the gastronomic soul of the Grand Sud.
Aspect
Meat redder than standard French pork, white, firm, and non-oily covering fat, more developed carcass (average live weight of around 120 kg).
Odeur
When cooked, more intense aromas than those of standard pork, as the lipolysis of polyunsaturated fatty acids in the intramuscular fat enhances the olfactory intensity.
Goût
Juicy, tender, and intensely flavoured; the meat is richer in lipids (around 5.4% compared to 3.8% for standard French pork), which enhances its juiciness and succulence.
Texture
More supple, less dry, and less fibrous than standard pork, with better water retention linked to its controlled pH (5.5 to 6.2).
Individual animal identification, livestock records, and dispatch notes mandatory at each stage, from birth to sale.
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Accords : Madiran, Côtes du Roussillon, Corbières, Vin de Cahors.
Since: 2013
Area covered: 17 departments of the former regions of Aquitaine, Midi-Pyrénées, and Poitou-Charentes
Key requirements: Birth and rearing in the PGI area, minimum 60% cereals in feed from weaning then minimum 30% dent corn during fattening, transport ≤ 200 km/6 h, carcass weight ≥ 90 kg, pH 5.5-6.2. Mandatory traceability.
Since: 1989
Area covered: 17 departments of the former regions of Aquitaine, Midi-Pyrénées, and Poitou-Charentes
Key requirements: "Porc au Grain du Sud-Ouest" scheme (Interprofession Porcine d'Aquitaine), maize-based diet; "Porc Fermier du Sud-Ouest" variant.
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