A trip to the marble mountains wouldn’t be complete without a stop to Colonnata, the ancient village which lies in the midst of marble at the feet of the Apuan Alps.
It is not simply this white stone that the village is know for, but another white delicacy called Lardo di Colonnata, pork fat. Having no intention of tasting this particularity, I went in search of gelato.
Needless to say, in this part of Italy, I was limited to savory, not sweet.
As we explored the village beneath the summer sun, we sought shelter at an enoteca. Very innocently the owner asked us if we’d like a little tasting. Of lardo, of course. Well, just once…
Not only was this buttery delicacy mouth-watering, but we were given a lesson in it’s making. Lardo is created by curing strips of fatback with rosemary and other herbs and spices, where it lies beneath marble for many months. Did we order more, with 2 glasses of wine to compliment? But of course!
I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this local specialty. Not something to eat often, but if you’re a meat eater, certainly something to try at least once. It’s worth a trip up to the mountains!
But that sounds realllllly delicious (despite the snap of the vat which look like majorly disgusting diaper ingredients). And you can work the fat off on your walk up and down the mountains!
Sounds like a heavenly trip thus far!
xx
Gorgeous photos. I think I would be leery at first if I saw the process, but I would not hesitate to partake in the platter above, it looks divine! I have had lardo in small quantities and I know it is made with herbs, but I have never eaten in “naked” enough to taste them, I bet you could really taste the rosemary!
Mmm.. I actually love lardo. My favorite restaurant back in Tenerife offers prawns wrapped in crispy lardo – it might sound like a strange combination, but it’s really a hit!!
What a gorgeous place!
Oh thanks for sharing! I am jealous you got to visit this beautiful location (I love Italy) and your aperativo sounds so good. I have tasted lardo and it is surprising and fabulous! And couldn’t this wonderful tasting be followed by a gelato?
Oh man, I don’t think I could….. good on you for being adventurous!
Wow! That sounds fun! 🙂 I’m with Lindsey, not sure I could sample it. However wandering about the marble mountains of the Alps? Now that’s a day well spent!!
I’ve never knowingly consumed pure pork fat… but you might have convinced me to give it a try. I think I’ll wait for a visit to Colonnata, though 😉
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