It was the rough food of the Apuan Alps’quarrymen, who cut it into thin slices and ate it with bread and tomatoes. This simple meal was prepared early in the morning to sustain the quarrymen in a hard work day at 2000 metres of height. The “Lardo” is the typical product of Colonnata, a very small town lying between the marble quarries which surround Carrara. Its seasoning is from 6 to 10 months long; it is conserved in special marble basins, placed in hovels or caves inside the rocks. The natural humidity and the marble porosity create the ideal condition for its maturation. Rectangular bacon fat blocks are placed in the basins and each layer is flavoured wit a special pickle, made of sea salt, black pepper, rosemay and fresh garlic pieces.The spices and aromatic herbs which give the “lardo” its special flavour are: black pepper, cinnamon, clover, coriander, myrtle, marjoram, sage and rosemary.

Its scent is fragrant and rich: its taste is delicate, almost sweet, finely savoury if the bacon fat comes from the buttock area, enriched by the aromatic herbs and the spices used during its working.