The firm layer of fat running along the back of the pig, prized by charcutiers as one of the finest pork fats for sausage and salami making. Its value lies in its texture: hard, white, and clean-flavored, it dices into distinct cubes that stay visible as creamy morsels in salami rather than smearing into the meat, and it renders slowly for a rich mouthfeel. High-quality sausages, pates, and terrines depend on it for juiciness and bind, since lean meat alone makes dry, crumbly products. Italian lardo, cured slabs of seasoned back fat, elevates it to a delicacy in its own right. Like all animal fats it is rich in saturated fatty acids, so its role is flavor and craftsmanship rather than everyday nutrition.