Lard Day

National Lard Day is celebrated annually on December 8. This holiday recognizes the culinary versatility and recent resurgence of pure animal fat in kitchens, moving beyond past stigmas to appreciate its role in traditional cooking and baking.

History of National Lard Day

For centuries, lard was the primary cooking fat in homes across North America and Europe. It was valued for its affordability, availability, and ability to keep food preserved. However, in the early 20th century, the introduction of hydrogenated vegetable shortenings, combined with aggressive marketing campaigns, pushed animal fats out of favor. By the late 1900s, health concerns regarding saturated fats further villainized lard, leading many households to abandon it entirely for vegetable oils and margarine.

The holiday was established in 2018 by the Healthy Fats Coalition to counter these decades of negative perception. As nutritional science evolved to differentiate between natural fats and processed trans fats, chefs and health advocates began to champion lard once again. They highlighted that pure, non-hydrogenated lard is a natural source of monounsaturated fats and vitamin D. The day now marks a “fat renaissance,” celebrating the ingredient’s return to favor among foodies, keto dieters, and pastry chefs who swear by its superior performance in the kitchen.

Why is National Lard Day important?

Culinary professionals consider high-quality lard, specifically “leaf lard” from around the pig’s kidneys, to be the gold standard for baking. Unlike butter, which contains water that can toughen dough, pure lard is 100% fat. This unique property creates exceptionally flaky pie crusts and light biscuits that other shortenings cannot replicate. Its high smoke point also makes it ideal for frying chicken or vegetables without burning or creating acrid flavors, offering a crispiness that vegetable oils struggle to match.

Beyond flavor, the day promotes a philosophy of sustainable, “nose-to-tail” eating. Utilizing the fat of the animal honors the resource rather than wasting it. It challenges the modern reliance on highly processed industrial oils, encouraging consumers to look for natural, minimally processed alternatives. This shift reconnects people with heritage cooking methods and the agricultural traditions of their ancestors.

• creates the flakiest possible pie crusts
• withstands high cooking temperatures for frying
• supports sustainable nose-to-tail butchery
• offers a natural alternative to processed oils
• provides a rich source of vitamin d

How to Celebrate National Lard Day

The best way to observe this day is by baking a pie using a lard-based crust. Whether it is a savory pot pie or a sweet fruit filling, the result will likely be noticeably flakier than usual. For savory cooks, frying chicken or potatoes in lard provides a dry, crisp texture that is not greasy. Many specialty butchers sell containers of pure, rendered leaf lard, which is distinct from the shelf-stable blocks found in baking aisles that often contain hydrogenated ingredients.

Educational exploration is another way to participate. Reading labels at the grocery store helps distinguish between processed shortenings and real animal fats. You might also visit a local farm or butcher shop to ask about how they render their fats. Some adventurous home cooks even try rendering their own lard by purchasing pork fatback and slowly melting it down in a slow cooker or on the stove to create a pure, white supply for the winter.

• bake a fruit pie with a lard crust
• fry chicken for a crispy dinner
• buy pure leaf lard from a butcher
• render fresh pork fat at home
• read about the history of cooking fats

Lard Day Dates Table