FAQ

Lard is a natural product, made by the melting of animal fats. For pork lard, pork fat and bacon are melted, while for goose lard, the goose belly fat is used.

The specific animal fats are melted in large cooking kettles. Afterward, the water is withdrawn, and only the greaves and lard remain.

At this point, other natural ingredients may be added, depending on the type and flavour of lard. For example, greaves can be added again, while herbs, onions, apples, and spices may also be added.

At LARU, the greaves that are added are not those that arise as a by-product from the lard production. Rather, the greaves used for LARU’s lard specialities are produced in Bottrop from fresh pork bacon.

Pork lard has a white color, is soft, spreadable, and has a faint aroma. Goose lard has a yellowish-white color, is softer than pork lard, and has a strong aroma.

Pure goose lard melts at 25° C, just above room temperature. For optimum usability and spreadability, LARU always adds 10% of pork lard to its goose lard.

Lard is a highly versatile traditional ingredient that plays a key role in exquisite cuisine. Both pork and goose lard are available in a broad range of delicious spreads.

Pork lard adds a distinctive flavor to savory dishes like Savoy cabbage or curly kale. Goose lard, however, can offer an exceptional touch to fine-dining dishes like wild game, duck, or red cabbage.

Pork lard is an ideal traditional ingredient for baking, thanks to its soft consistency and high melting point.¹ It makes dough tender, rounds off the flavor, and helps keep baked goods fresh for longer. Goose lard makes cakes loose and gives them a delicious, delicate flavor. 

¹ The melting point is the temperature at which the given product changes from a solid state into a liquid state.

To find out what else you can do with lard, check out our recipes page

Put simply, no. In moderation, lard makes a valuable contribution to a balanced, healthy, and flavorful diet.

As a dietary fat, it is a key energy source for our bodies; and its energy level is twice as high as that of protein, starch, or sugar. Depending on their composition, dietary fats provide necessary essential fatty acids: pork lard contains 10% polyunsaturated fatty acids, 48% unsaturated fatty acids, and 8g of linoleic acids per 100g; goose lard contains 12 polyunsaturated fatty acids and 60% unsaturated fatty acids.

These dietary fats also carry the vital vitamins A, D, E, and K, which are only usable with the help of fat. Moreover, they perform protective and supportive functions, act as a cushion for internal organ, and are used for heat insulation.

Finally, goose fat, unlike all other fats, retains its molecular structure, and hence its beneficial effects on the cardiovascular system, even at temperatures of more than 200° C.

To read more about the nutritional benefits of lard, visit our nutritionpage

Unsaturated (or essential) fatty acids regulate lipid metabolism. On average, humans need 6-8g of fatty acid per day, the most important of which is linoleic acid.

Lard contains a high percentage of these essential fatty acids. Olive oil, for example, contains 75% of unsaturated fatty acids, but only 9% polyunsaturated fatty acids. Likewise, butter, with its 31% of unsaturated fatty acids, doesn’t come close to lard.

• Pork lard contains 898 calories, or 3.756 kJ per 100g
• Goose lard contains 883 calories, or 3.689 kJ per 100g
• An average slice of bread with lard with greaves contains around 225 calories, or 945 kJ

In comparison:

• A slice of bread with butter contains 235 calories, or 987 kJ
• A slice of bread with 20g of butter and sausage contains around 279 calories, or 1.070 kJ
• A slice of bread with 20g butter and cheese contains about 275 calories, or 1.153 kJ

LARU products have a shelf life of 7 months when stored in cool conditions (up to 15°C). Unrefrigerated, shelf life is 4 months.

The shelf life refers to the statutory expiration date. This is the recommended date, as indicated on the product packaging, by which the food should be consumed, given proper storage conditions, in order to reduce any risk regarding a reduction in taste or quality.