Lardo di Colonnata is certainly the most famous gastronomic product of the Apuan area; it is produced in the town of the same name located eight kilometers from Carrara, in the natural setting of the Apuan Alps, between the Maggiore, Spallone and Sagro mountains, and located within the quarry district, particularly in the Gioia area, which includes quarries exploited since Roman times, and from which a type of marble is still extracted that is attested to be the best for making the basins that house the curing of lard because of its porous grain.
The settlement of Colonnata has existed since approximately 40 B.C. as housing for Roman slaves who were employed in the work of quarrying marble, and probably owes its name to the columns that were produced here and transported to Rome.Today it is dotted with dozens of lard makers who carry on the centuries-old tradition of producing the precious salami in their stores.
If Colonnata’s origins are well known, those of its Lardo remain rather mysterious: some trace it directly back to Roman times, but more likely its origin should be sought in the period of Lombard domination in Italy, while some place its birth as far back as the 19th century.
Certainly this nutritious poor dish, which over time has become a true gastronomic excellence with Protected Geographical Indication, thanks to its important caloric intake, developed as the food of quarrymen who worked hard to extract marble; we know that it was linked to the feast of St.Bartholomew, moreover the patron saint of butchers, and to the veneration for St. Anthony the Abbot, who bestowed healing on those who placed precisely a slice of Colonnata lard on their sacred fire wounds (the so-called fire of St. Anthony).
It is irregularly parallelepiped, at least three centimeters thick and grayish-brown on the outside and very white when cut, apart from a thin pink stripe that represents the leanest part of Lardo di Colonnata.
The texture is soft, and the person who has smelled it no longer forgets its unmistakable fragrance due to the spices that envelop it. The flavor undoubtedly gives a sensory experience to be experienced.
The part of the pig that is used to produce lard is the fatty layer of the back, from the neck to the buttocks, also including the bacon.
The choice of meat is crucial to ensure that Lardo di Colonnata retains all the properties that make it so highly valued, and it is essential that it be processed within 72 hours of slaughtering, preferably between the months of September and May. After trimming, which involves removing the leanest parts, the meat is appeased and massaged with coarse salt.
The next step is to place the pieces inside marble tubs, which as mentioned must be from the Canaloni di Colonnata, but before doing so the inside walls of the so-called “conche” must be rubbed with fresh garlic. Today these basins, are made of assembled slabs of marble, while in earlier times they were dug directly into small blocks.
The pieces of fat are arranged in layers in the tubs and alternated with a mixture of flavorings such as garlic, rosemary and pepper, but each lard maker then has, in this regard, his own recipe, his own dosage, the addition of spices to give a different flavor to the lard.
After finishing the operation of laying the flavored pieces of fat, it is necessary to fill the basin with brine (water and salt) so as not to leave any empty spaces, then the basin is closed with a marble slab and the curing process begins, which lasts about six months.
To taste this ancient cured meat, the advice is to go directly to one of the stores in the village, so you can also visit this characteristic hamlet; certainly the first approach involves tasting it pure, that is, raw and cut with a knife into thin slices: its traditional use, as the quarrymen ate it, is on toasted bread and with an unripe tomato on top; today it is also accompanied by honey and there are several recipes that enhance its flavor.
For example, in one of the typical dishes of Carrara cuisine, taglierini in beans, a piece of pork rind, the part of the lard closest to the head, cannot be missing to melt in the broth.