Raw pork fat in a tropical climate? That is the first hurdle. In Russia or Ukraine, Salo is stored in a cold cellar or a balcony during -20°C winters. The fat hardens into a waxy, translucent slab.
They came home to India, became doctors, and never lost the taste. salo in indian
In Chennai or Kolkata, where the mercury pushes 40°C (104°F), your beautiful slab of Salo will turn into a greasy, rancid puddle in hours. Raw pork fat in a tropical climate
Indian cuisine is an expert at adoption. The tomato (from the New World), the chili (also New World), and the potato are now "Indian." Salo won't become a national dish. But it has found its niche. The fat hardens into a waxy, translucent slab
I spoke to a cardiologist in Kerala who keeps a jar of home-cured Salo in a specialised wine cooler set to 4°C. "My wife hates the smell," he laughed. "But every Saturday night, I pull it out. A slice of black bread, a clove of raw garlic, a sliver of that salty fat. It takes me back to Kyiv in the snow."
