Valle d'Aosta Lard d'Arnad

Appearance & taste

After ripening, the lard comes in various shapes and is at least 3 cm thick. The outer layer is white with streaks of meat, the inner part pink and without streaks.

The label bears the name in Italian, “Valle d’Aosta Lard d’Arnad”, or in French, “Vallée d’Aoste Lard d’Arnad”, followed by “Denominazione di Origine Protetta” (protected designation of origin).

Production

The lard comes from the shoulder and back of pigs at least nine months old with a weight of at least 160 kg ± 10 %. They are born, reared and slaughtered in the Aosta Valley, Piedmont, Lombardy, Veneto or Emilia-Romagna. The animals are finished above all through their feed; feed supplements are not allowed, but some special feedstuffs are.

At the latest 48 hours after the day following slaughter, the fat is trimmed and layered in wooden containers, the doils. Each layer of fat is covered with a layer of salt with spices until the doil is almost full; then salt water, previously boiled and cooled, is poured over it. The doils are made of chestnut, oak or larch wood. The lard rests in them for at least three months.

Origin & history

The lard is made exclusively within the municipality of Arnad in the autonomous region of the Aosta Valley. According to the summary, pig farming in the wider area is linked to the cereal growing common there and to specialised cheesemaking. Making Lard d’Arnad is based on a craft skill that has been developed further and further over time and is rooted in the tradition of the people of Arnad. The summary gives no further details on its history.