Salo

Salo is salted, and sometimes smoked, pork back fat, one of the most iconic products of Ukrainian cuisine and a true folk cultural symbol. Despite its apparent simplicity, salo occupies a special, almost sacred place in Ukrainian gastronomy, folklore, and jokes.

The most common way of preparing it is salting. A fresh piece of salo is rubbed with salt and garlic, often with added black pepper, bay leaf, and other spices, and left for several days or weeks until it “matures”, becomes tender and aromatic. Besides the salted kind, smoked and boiled salo are also made, and it is fried into cracklings. Classically salo is served thinly sliced, chilled, with rye bread, garlic, onion, and a shot of horilka; it is an indispensable component of the festive and everyday table, a hearty snack. Salo is also used as a cooking fat — things are fried on it, lean meat is larded with it, and fried bases for borsch are made. Rich in energy, it traditionally gave strength in the cold and in hard work. Wreathed in gentle humour, salo remains a warm, recognisable symbol of Ukrainian hospitality and distinctiveness.