Lardons

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Small strips or cubes of fatty bacon or pork used as a flavoring or garnish in various dishes
2. A type of cured meat that adds richness and texture when incorporated into savory recipes
3. Pieces of rendered pork fat that are often sautéed until crispy and used to enhance the taste of a meal

Etymology: "Lardons" is the plural of "lardon", a small strip or cube of pork fat, usually bacon or salt pork, that is fried until crisp and scattered over salads, soups or stews. The singular "lardon" came into Middle English in the form "lardun" or "lardon", borrowed from Old French, where it had the same sense of a piece of fat meat. The word belongs to the same family as "lard", the rendered fat itself, which reached English from Old French "lard" and ultimately from Latin "lardum", meaning bacon or fat. A "lardon" is therefore literally a little piece of lard, the diminutive form adding the sense of a small chunk cut from the larger fatty mass.

Synonyms: bacon, fatback