Inklingo

How to Say "lard" in Spanish

English → Spanish

grasa

grah-sahˈɡɾasa

nounA1general
Use 'grasa' when referring to animal fat in a general sense, especially when discussing its presence in food or its nutritional content.
A thick, yellowish-white slab of animal fat, often used for cooking, resting on a simple wooden cutting board.

Examples

La nutricionista me dijo que evite la comida con mucha grasa.

The nutritionist told me to avoid food with a lot of fat.

Perdí cinco kilos de grasa corporal después de entrenar.

I lost five kilos of body fat after training.

Always Feminine

Remember that 'grasa' is always a feminine word, so you must use 'la grasa' or 'mucha grasa'.

manteca

man-TEH-kahmanˈteka

nounA2culinary
Use 'manteca' specifically for rendered animal fat, particularly pork lard, when referring to its use as an ingredient in cooking, like baking or making traditional dishes.
A white ceramic bowl filled with smooth, white rendered lard next to a wooden spoon.

Examples

Para hacer tamales tradicionales, necesitas manteca de cerdo.

To make traditional tamales, you need pork lard.

La receta pide media taza de manteca vegetal.

The recipe calls for half a cup of vegetable shortening.

Lávate las manos, que tienes manteca.

Wash your hands, they are greasy (covered in fat).

Using 'La' with Manteca

Since this word ends in 'a' and is feminine, you should always use feminine words with it, like 'la manteca' or 'manteca fría'.

Don't confuse with 'mantequilla'

Mistake: “Using 'manteca' to mean butter in Spain or Mexico.”

Correction: In Spain and Mexico, butter is 'mantequilla'. Use 'manteca' only if you mean lard or shortening.

General Fat vs. Cooking Lard

The most common mistake is using 'grasa' when you specifically mean 'manteca' for cooking. Remember that 'grasa' is the broad term for fat, while 'manteca' is the specific word for rendered lard used in recipes.

Related Translations

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