Obtaining it requires the animal to die, so it falls outside a vegetarian diet as well as a vegan one.
The two diets, side by side
A vegetarian diet excludes animals that were killed. A vegan diet excludes animal products entirely, whether the animal survived or not. Lard (Baking/Frying Fat) fails both tests on the same fact, so the two diets agree here.
Lard is not vegan. Rendered from pig fat, it built the shortcrust and pie pastry of British baking long before vegetable shortening arrived, and it still fries potatoes in some chip shops and shortens some tortillas. Packaged food must name it in the EU and UK, so the risk sits with unlabeled food: a bakery counter, a fryer, a restaurant kitchen.
What it is
- Comes from
- Rendered fat from pigs. Historically the primary fat used in baking pastry, frying, and greasing baking tins.
- Which animal
- pig
- Requires slaughter
- Yes
- Where you meet it
- Traditional shortcrust and puff pastry, pie crusts, some biscuits, traditional fried foods (chip shop chips were historically fried in lard), some bread products, tortillas.
Editorial notes
Lard was the dominant baking fat in Western cuisine until the early 20th century when hydrogenated vegetable shortening (Crisco, introduced 1911) began replacing it. Many traditional recipes calling for 'shortening' or 'vegetable shortening' were originally written for lard. Lard pastry has a different texture to butter or vegetable shortening pastry — some chefs argue it remains superior for certain applications.
Frequently asked questions
Is Lard (Baking/Frying Fat) vegetarian?
Not Vegetarian. Obtaining it requires the animal to die, so it falls outside a vegetarian diet as well as a vegan one.
Is Lard (Baking/Frying Fat) vegan?
Not Vegan. Lard is not vegan. Rendered from pig fat, it built the shortcrust and pie pastry of British baking long before vegetable shortening arrived, and it still fries potatoes in some chip shops and shortens some tortillas. Packaged food must name it in the EU and UK, so the risk sits with unlabeled food: a bakery counter, a fryer, a restaurant kitchen.
Is lard vegan?
No. Lard is rendered pig fat, so it is neither vegan nor vegetarian. Any food that lists lard as an ingredient, or that is fried or baked in it, is not vegan.
Is shortening the same as lard?
Not necessarily. Modern vegetable shortening is plant-based and suitable for vegans in most cases, but the word 'shortening' historically referred to lard, and a small number of shortening products blend in animal fats. Check the ingredient list. The word alone will not settle it.
What can I use instead of lard in baking?
Vegetable shortening is the most direct substitute. Shortening is also solid, plastic, and essentially all fat, and it can usually be swapped one-for-one. Refined coconut oil works for pastry and has a neutral flavor. Vegan block butter works in most recipes, though its water content makes pastry slightly less flaky. For frying, any neutral high-smoke-point vegetable oil replaces lard without issue.