Lardo
Lardo
Italian cured and seasoned strips of pig fat
Lardo is a type of salume made by curing strips of fatback with rosemary and other herbs and spices.[1]
The most famous lardo is from the Tuscan frazione (hamlet) of Colonnata, where lardo has been made since Roman times. Colonnata is a frazione of the larger city of Carrara, which is famous for its marble; Colonnata is itself a site where Carrara marble is quarried and, traditionally, lardo is cured for months in basins made of this marble. Lardo di Colonnata is now[when?] included in the Ark of Taste catalog of heritage foods as well as enjoying IGP (protected geographical indication) status since 2004.[2] It is composed of over 90% lipids.[3]
Another prized form of lardo is the Vallée d'Aoste Lard d'Arnad, a PDO product from the area of Arnad in Aosta Valley of northwest Italy. Both superior types of lardo may be served very thinly sliced as an antipasto.