Tallow

Tallow is rendered fat from cattle or sheep, the traditional hard cooking fat of butchers and bakers. It is firm at room temperature, highly saturated, and valued for deep frying, pastry, and soap making, giving foods a rich flavour and crisp texture. Food-grade tallow must come from inspected animals and be rendered hygienically to low moisture and impurity levels. While partially displaced by vegetable oils and shortenings, it remains in use for traditional products and industrial frying, and its stability at high heat is a genuine functional advantage.