Both are white, and both are specialties of the hills near Carrara, Italy.

Driving along Italy's A12 expressway, just north of Pisa and Livorno, you may spot mountains covered in what looks like pure, white snow. It's not snow. It's marble. These are the marble quarries above the town of Carrara, where the beautiful white marble used for most statues has been mined for over 2000 years. Today the mines still give up about 15,000 tons of marble each working day, with no end in sight.

in nearby Colonnata, the white stuff they produce is not as weighty, but much more delicious. Made from the back fat of pigs, Lardo di Colonnata is a pure white fat that tastes delicious on unsalted Tuscan bread.

Tags: Carrara, Marble