A food such as lard is a cult among the Ukrainian population. It is worth noting that lard is very beneficial for the body. Larisa Bal-Prilipko, who is currently the dean of the faculty of food technology, knows everything about this product and shared this interesting information with us.
It's no secret that in our time, many people lead a sedentary lifestyle and because of this they are overweight. In order not to recover, you need to consume 50 grams of fat daily.
Fat has quite a few names: "cracklings" are called fried small pieces of fat. “Smalets” is melted lard, and it is widely used in cooking. “Shpik” - subcutaneous fat of a pig, which could be processed (salted or smoked). Breast is called fat, which has streaks of meat, and in English it is called "bacon".
Ukrainians prefer to eat lard with garlic, pepper and salt. With this composition, it is necessary to rub lard. The most interesting thing is that it is simply impossible to overdo it: fat will absorb no more than necessary.
Fat has a calorie content of 720 to 902 kcal per 100 grams. It is absolutely free of carbohydrates. Eating fat is simply necessary for people who engage in heavy physical labor and people who live in the cold northern regions.
It is generally accepted that the birthplace of fat is Ukraine. It's a delusion. In fact, fat came to us from Italy. It was there that they used pork fat as food for slaves. This option was the cheapest, and besides, it gave strength to people who spent all day working at the stone quarries.
How to choose the right lard? Old lard has a gray or yellow tint. Fresh lard should be pale pink or white. Pay attention to the smell: it should give off a sweetish aroma. If it smells a little smoke, even better, as it means the pig has been tarred. Pay special attention to the thickness of the fat: good fat is no more than 2.5 - 3.5 centimeters thick. A rather important element of good lard is the skin: it should be yellowish, without bristles.
When you go buy fat, take matches with you. When choosing, pierce the fat with a match: if the tree entered the product without any problems, then the fat is fresh and you can safely buy it. And finally, a practical tip: touch the fat to the touch. Its surface should in no case be either sticky or slippery. If you tried all the methods and did not find any flaws - feel free to buy and eat to your health!