Top 5 Italian Lards

Salumificio Maison Bertolin is a renowned producer of cured meats located in Arnad, in the Valle d'Aosta region of Italy. Founded in 1957 by Guido and Osvalda Bertolin, the family has continued the tradition of producing high-quality cured meats, passing down their craft from generation to generation.

Salumificio Maison Bertolin specializes in the production of traditional cured meats, including Lard d'Arnad DOP - a protected product made from pork belly, layered with salt, herbs, and garlic, and aged in wooden vats - as well as a variety of other cured meat products. Visitors have the opportunity to purchase products directly at the company's shop in Arnad, where they can also taste and buy a wide range of offerings.Expand

Italy's most renowned raw, organic lard is first generously salted, then seasoned with pepper, rosemary, garlic and coriander, and finally aged for about six months in specially crafted canaloni - marble tubs. Lardo di Colonnata is made using only fatback, and produced in the Tuscan province of Massa Carrara, namely in Colonnata, a small village with only a few hundred inhabitants located on a cliff between the famous marble quarries of Carrara. The production of Colonnata lard is seasonal and takes place between September and May. This Tuscan delicacy has a fragrant aroma and a particularly sweet taste, enriched with spices and aromatic herbs. Ideally, Lardo di Colonnata is served au naturel, very thinly sliced over warm slices of toasted bread, often sided by tomatoes and onions. It can also be used in a variety of local dishes, including both meat and fish. In fact, some typical Italian taverns in the Massa Carrara area offer menus based entirely on Lardo di Colonnata, from cold starters to pasta, main courses and, amazingly, even ice cream!Expand

The aromatic Aosta Valley Lard is an exquisite cold cut traditionally produced in the Alpine town of Arnad, where the tradition of pig farming dates centuries back. One of the distinctive features in the production of Lard d’Arnad is the animals' diet, consisting mainly of chestnuts, roots and tubers found in the Valley. Made of pork shoulder fat, Aosta Valley Lard is salted and seasoned with pepper, clove, cinnamon, nutmeg, and aromatic herbs such as bay leaf, sage, rosemary, juniper and milfoil, gathered in the mountains surrounding Arnad. This variety of lard is immersed in brine and matured in special oak and chestnut wood containers for about three months, after which the product attains its sweet, full-bodied flavor. Aosta Valley Lard is typically served either with boiled chestnuts or smeared with honey over toasted Pan Dür, a local variety of wholemeal bread.Expand

Lardo di Camaiore is a traditional lard originating from Camaiore in Tuscany. The lard is white in color, with red veins running throughout it. It’s made from the fatty part of the pig’s back. Slices of lard are covered with a layer of garlic, rosemary, salt, and pepper. They’re traditionally placed on marble surfaces at an incline in order to mature shortly, and the lard is then ready to be sold and enjoyed. Thin slices of lardo di Camaiore are usually served with slices of fresh or toasted bread and other salamis, then enjoyed as an appetizer. The lard is also sometimes used as a condiment for soups and savory dishes.Expand

Pestàt di Fagagna is an unusual Italian sausage originating from Fagagna in the province of Udine. The pestàt is made in order to preserve the aromas and flavors of vegetables and herbs in pork lard. In Fagagna, the pork butchers known as purcitâr start to learn the tricks of their trade as teenagers – they mix minced celery, carrots, leeks, onions, rosemary, garlic, sage, and parsley with ground lard. The mixture is seasoned with salt, pepper, allspice, and cinnamon, and it's then stuffed into natural casings that are left to age in cold and humid cellars from a few weeks up to a year. Although the pestàt is technically a type of sausage, it's not eaten on its own, but used as a condiment or a base for local dishes.Expand

Mora Romagnola is a very special breed of dark brown, almost black pigs from the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna. Semi-wild, looking more like boars than pigs, these large animals are farmed outdoors, left to roam wild in the woods. Due to their healthy lifestyle and particular genetics that makes them predisposed to fattening, their meat is especially succulent and tender, much tastier than other pork. Particularly renowned is their lard – due to the chemical composition rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, strutto di Mora Romagnola is extremely tender and delicious, with a sweet, yet very delicate flavor that makes it superior to other similar products. Strutto di Mora Romagnola has a very important role in local cuisine, it is generally used for baking and frying, but it is also a must-have ingredient when preparing the famous piadina Romagnola, or local desserts such as castagnole or sfrappole. Expand