National Lard Day – December 8, 2024

History of National Lard Day

Pig fat has been a staple in various cooking forms for centuries. In fact, it was viewed as equally valuable as pork itself. During the 19th century, lard reached the same prominence as butter. Its popularity quickly rose in North America and Europe, with its supply and demand peaking. By the 20th century, lard overtook butter and vegetable oils as a widely used fat substitute because it’s cheaper and more readily available. However, lard’s reputation was quickly met with negative publicity after it was criticized for being less healthy than other types of oil. To add more fuel to the fire, the release of Upton Sinclair’s novel “The Jungle” painted lard in a negative light, worsening its reputation.

The bad publicity surrounding pig fat led to the introduction of vegetable shortening in the early 1900s, making it possible for vegetable oils to be used as a solid fat ideal for baking. E.C. Kayser, a German chemist, was the one who formally introduced this invention to food companies. In 1907, he went to Procter & Gamble and presented the ball of fat. It looked and cooked like lard but without any pig fat involved. Instead, it was hydrogenated cottonseed oil. This invention led to the introduction of a popular product that changed cooking forever: Crisco.

In June 1911, Crisco was primarily used as a lard substitute. It slowly yet steadily dominated American food culture and became a staple in every household by the 1960s. At this point, lard was almost entirely replaced. It wasn’t until the 1990s that chefs and food experts rediscovered lard’s unique qualities. This resurgence happened during the discovery of vegetable oil’s negative trans fat content. Lard’s popularity continued into the 2000s, and it is once again in demand in the culinary industries of North America and Europe.