The Arnad Lard P.O.D. is a tasty and fragrant cured meat that has been seasoned with salt, spices and mountain aromas that make it a product as unique as it is unrepeatable.
Product of excellence of the territory of Arnad in Valle d’Aosta. Since 1996 the only lard in Europe certified P.O.D.
Differences between P.G.I. and P.D.O.
The difference between PDO and PGI products lies in the fact that, for PDO products, all that concerns the preparation and marketing of the product originates in the declared territory and is traceable to it; while for PGI products, the declared territory gives the product certain characteristics through certain phases or components of its preparation, but not all the factors that contribute to the production of the product come from or take place in the declared territory.
HOW IT’S PRODUCED
The lard is obtained from the back of the pig that, cleaned of excess fat, arrives in the production plants to be properly processed.
Within 48 hours of slaughter, the back of the pig, cut into rectangular pieces, is placed in special wooden containers (strictly made from native durmast oak, chestnut or larch wood) called Doils, in which it undergoes a special seasoning process.
The lard is placed on the table as a sliced product: its sweet taste means that it can be enjoyed as an appetizer, combined with black bread and honey. Its eclectic character means that it can also be used as a seasoning in the preparation of polenta and venison dishes.
The lard is placed in layers inside the doils, and then covered with salt, rosemary, garlic, sage, bay leaves, and sometimes unground spices. Finally, it is covered with a mixture of water and crystallized salt necessary to saturate the entire contents.
The time required for the maturation of this product is a minimum of 3 months, but it can be as long as 12 o 15 months. Once it has reached the right level of maturation, the lard is vacuum-packed or packaged in glass containers.
This preservation method has age-old origins, dating back to the end of 1700 (examples of doils were found in the ancient kitchens of the Arnad castle).
The first evidence of the processing of this product can be found in documents dating back to 1570.
Today, as a result of a mixture of popular wisdom and contemporary processing techniques, the production of ‘Valle d’Aosta Lard d’Arnad DOP’ has brought about a change in the local economic fabric: over time, in fact, production plants have been set up that have preserved its outlines and characteristics.
The pigs used, weighing not less than 160 kg and aged not less than 9 months, must be reared not only in Valle d’Aosta but also in Emilia Romagna, Piedmont, Lombardy, and Veneto. The pigs must be fed from natural sources and must not be fed with integrated fodder.
The final taste is delicate but well-perfumed thanks to the spices used in the seasoning process.
CERTIFIED PRODUCERS
Maison Bertolin srl
Arnad le Vieux
The Laurent family
Pietro Laurent
PHOTO GALLERY
