# Is there anything more curious to still find in grocery stores than lard? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 17, 2017, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-anything-more-curious-to-still-find-in-grocery-stores-than-lard/784659 "2017-04-17T19:42:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cardigan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardigan/32/187_2.png) [@Cardigan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardigan)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2017, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-anything-more-curious-to-still-find-in-grocery-stores-than-lard/784659/1 "2017-04-17T19:42:15Z")
Intended as sort of a counterpart to this thread[http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=823876](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=823876). Ever notice how most grocery stores still carry buckets/[tubs of lard](https://www.google.com/search?q=armour+lard&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&sqi=2&ved=0ahUKEwjLj7TYm6zTAhXBxYMKHUpWAggQ_AUIBygC&biw=1920&bih=934#spf=1)somewhere in their meat sections? What is this 1955? Who the heck is buying this stuff? Yet, a lot of people must still be buying this product or they wouldn’t stock it. Other nominees include moustache wax and personal care products straight out of the 1950’s (e.g. “Brylcreem, a little dab will do ya”) complete with packaging unchanged since that time. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2017, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-anything-more-curious-to-still-find-in-grocery-stores-than-lard/784659/2 "2017-04-17T19:46:51Z")
I’m buying the lard! Outside my neighborhood, which is Hispanic and Eastern European, both cultures of which whom love their lard, I’ve actually found it frustratingly difficult to find lard sometimes. I can’t think of any old-timey products that seem weird to me, but I’ve always wondered who in the hell, outside of me from time to time, is buying all the fresh turmeric root in my neighborhood. My local grocery has been stocking it for a couple of years now, and I can’t figure it out. There’s no Southeast Asians or South Asians in this neighborhood. There’s maybe about 5% Chinese, but I don’t think it’s used that much there. We’re maybe 75-80% Hispanic. I’m not aware of it being used a lot in that culture, but maybe I’m wrong? I’ve been wanting to ask the store manager about it. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2017, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-anything-more-curious-to-still-find-in-grocery-stores-than-lard/784659/3 "2017-04-17T19:50:26Z")
It tickles me to find canning supplies. Although I did have to hit up a couple of places for pectin, but you can get mason jars no problem. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2017, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-anything-more-curious-to-still-find-in-grocery-stores-than-lard/784659/4 "2017-04-17T19:51:19Z")
> [@Cardigan](#): > > Other nominees include moustache wax and personal care products straight out of the 1950’s (e.g. “Brylcreem, a little dab will do ya”) complete with packaging unchanged since that time. Hey, my father still uses Brylcreem. He’s 85, mind you, so he’s hardly at the leading edge of fashion. But there’s someone out there still buying the stuff. (And actually, it’s getting hard to find, so that my mother will clear out the Walmart when she does find it available.) ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2017, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-anything-more-curious-to-still-find-in-grocery-stores-than-lard/784659/5 "2017-04-17T19:56:40Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I’m buying the lard! Outside my neighborhood, which is Hispanic and Eastern European, both cultures of which whom love their lard, I’ve actually found it frustratingly difficult to find lard sometimes. > > I can’t think of any old-timey products that seem weird to me, but I’ve always wondered who in the hell, outside of me from time to time, is buying all the fresh turmeric root in my neighborhood. My local grocery has been stocking it for a couple of years now, and I can’t figure it out. There’s no Southeast Asians or South Asians in this neighborhood. There’s maybe about 5% Chinese, but I don’t think it’s used that much there. We’re maybe 75-80% Hispanic. I’m not aware of it being used a lot in that culture, but maybe I’m wrong? I’ve been wanting to ask the store manager about it. I’m lucky to have a mom and pop deli down the street, where I can get lard and duck fat. ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2017, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-anything-more-curious-to-still-find-in-grocery-stores-than-lard/784659/6 "2017-04-17T19:59:22Z")
Have you ever had a pie crust made with lard? It’s simply divine. Plus you need lard to make refried beans. ---
**Author:** ![Cardigan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardigan/32/187_2.png) [@Cardigan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardigan)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2017, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-anything-more-curious-to-still-find-in-grocery-stores-than-lard/784659/7 "2017-04-17T20:07:26Z")
> [@ivylass](#): > > It tickles me to find canning supplies. Although I did have to hit up a couple of places for pectin, but you can get mason jars no problem. I live maybe an hour away from an Amish community. There’s a grocery store in this Amish-influenced community that has nearly an _entire aisle_ devoted to those kind of supplies. Being an avid vegetable gardener, this is a good thing. We usually make a point to stock up on certain supplies whenever we head down there. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2017, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-anything-more-curious-to-still-find-in-grocery-stores-than-lard/784659/8 "2017-04-17T20:22:55Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Hey, my father still uses Brylcreem. He’s 85, mind you, so he’s hardly at the leading edge of fashion. But there’s someone out there still buying the stuff. (And actually, it’s getting hard to find, so that my mother will clear out the Walmart when she does find it available.) He could always just switch to lard. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Savannah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Savannah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Savannah)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2017, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-anything-more-curious-to-still-find-in-grocery-stores-than-lard/784659/9 "2017-04-17T20:33:21Z")
If I make pastry from scratch, I use lard. Only lard. Nothing else will do. As did my mother and grandmother. Edited to clarify, only lard, never Crisco or whatever. Plus flour, water, salt. ---
**Author:** ![installLSC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/54ee81/32.png) [@installLSC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/installLSC)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2017, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-anything-more-curious-to-still-find-in-grocery-stores-than-lard/784659/10 "2017-04-17T20:38:18Z")
> [@Cardigan](#): > > Ever notice how most grocery stores still carry buckets/[tubs of lard](https://www.google.com/search?q=armour+lard&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&sqi=2&ved=0ahUKEwjLj7TYm6zTAhXBxYMKHUpWAggQ_AUIBygC&biw=1920&bih=934#spf=1)somewhere in their meat sections? What is this 1955? Who the heck is buying this stuff? Yet, a lot of people must still be buying this product or they wouldn’t stock it. I take it you weren’t raised in a mostly Hispanic area; lard is a critical part of traditional Mexican cooking. Although I have noticed the iconic lard container you linked to is rarely available in the largest sizes anymore. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2017, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-anything-more-curious-to-still-find-in-grocery-stores-than-lard/784659/11 "2017-04-17T20:43:15Z")
Well, if you want to take someone’s lard, it’s probably fairly easy to pry it from their cold dead slippery hands. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2017, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-anything-more-curious-to-still-find-in-grocery-stores-than-lard/784659/12 "2017-04-17T20:47:59Z")
Kraut juice ---
**Author:** ![somepumpkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7feea3/32.png) [@somepumpkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/somepumpkin)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2017, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-anything-more-curious-to-still-find-in-grocery-stores-than-lard/784659/13 "2017-04-17T20:49:24Z")
Lamb? Veal? Panty hose? ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2017, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-anything-more-curious-to-still-find-in-grocery-stores-than-lard/784659/14 "2017-04-17T20:51:57Z")
> [@Kimballkid](#): > > Have you ever had a pie crust made with lard? It’s simply divine. > > Plus you need lard to make refried beans. Exactly. I still buy it from time to time if I run out from what I rendered with my own hogs. Not as good, but better than anything else offered at the market so I’m glad they still stock it. ---
**Author:** ![Cardigan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardigan/32/187_2.png) [@Cardigan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardigan)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2017, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-anything-more-curious-to-still-find-in-grocery-stores-than-lard/784659/15 "2017-04-17T20:53:27Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > Kraut juice I’ll award a bronze medal for this. Sure, sauerkraut is quite common, but kraut juice? We’re getting pretty niche here for 2017. I’m only aware of Franks [frank's kraut juice - Google Search](https://www.google.com/search?q=frank%27s+kraut+juice&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&sqi=2&ved=0ahUKEwj0qf_5rqzTAhUL34MKHfF9CKoQ_AUICCgD&biw=1920&bih=934#spf=1) Is there another brand still available? How about Maggi sauce? I though only 80 year old Polish ladies still used it? ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2017, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-anything-more-curious-to-still-find-in-grocery-stores-than-lard/784659/16 "2017-04-17T20:56:23Z")
We use lard to make tamale dough. We just buy the smaller box though which is enough to last a year. Makes the best tamale dough! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2017, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-anything-more-curious-to-still-find-in-grocery-stores-than-lard/784659/17 "2017-04-17T21:01:02Z")
Lard needs an updated name and and an ad campaign. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2017, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-anything-more-curious-to-still-find-in-grocery-stores-than-lard/784659/18 "2017-04-17T21:05:09Z")
The answer to many of these is: “hipsters.” Either that or Whole Foods yuppies. Lard? The trend is now flavor in moderation, not constant low-cal. While the previous mantra was “all fat is bad,” now lard is seen as having low saturated fat (the Bad Kind ™) compared to butter etc. That said I don’t know if I’ve noticed it for sale, but haven’t been looking. Moustache wax? Bryl Cream? Are you kidding? Yes, mostly 30-something guys who probably work as a “mixologist.” I don’t know about kraut juice, but pickle juice sans pickles is sometimes sold. Can be used for cocktails or a “pickle back.” Hipster bars and restaurants love using Mason jars as glasses. And home canning shares a lot with home brewing, meat curing, and other new(ish) trends. Not sure that people need to buy the supplies enough for a smaller store to stock it, but what do I know? ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2017, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-anything-more-curious-to-still-find-in-grocery-stores-than-lard/784659/19 "2017-04-17T21:05:11Z")
A friend of mine complained that she couldn’t find pickle juice anywhere; I said that all groceries carry it, plus, free pickles! ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2017, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-anything-more-curious-to-still-find-in-grocery-stores-than-lard/784659/20 "2017-04-17T21:07:22Z")
> [@Folly](#): > > Lard needs an updated name and and an ad campaign. Step right up and get your new and improved “Rendered Pork Fat!” “I can’t believe it’s not Lard!” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-anything-more-curious-to-still-find-in-grocery-stores-than-lard/784659.md?page=2)