lard / schmaltz
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lard
Animal fat rendered by heating, especially from pigs or geese, used as a spread for bread or for frying and baking.
Meine Großmutter isst am liebsten ein Brot mit Schmalz und Zwiebeln.
My grandmother's favorite thing to eat is bread with lard and onions.
schmaltz
A derogatory term for exaggerated, kitschy sentimentality in music, films, or literature.
Der Liebesfilm war mir mit seinen langsamen Geigen und den langen Blicken voller Schmalz.
The romance film was full of schmaltz for me, with its slow violins and long gazes.
pomade
Colloquial term for a greasy cream or pomade used for styling hair.
Für seine Rockabilly-Frisur braucht er eine ganze Menge Schmalz im Haar.
For his rockabilly hairstyle, he needs a whole lot of pomade in his hair.
'Schmalz' is closely related to the verb 'schmelzen' (to melt). Animal fat is heated, that is, melted, to make lard from it.
Um Schmalz zu gewinnen, muss man das Fett langsam schmelzen.
To obtain lard, you have to melt the fat slowly.
In all of its meanings, 'Schmalz' is an uncountable noun. It is always used in the singular and cannot be combined with a number.
Für das Rezept benötige ich etwas Schmalz.
For the recipe, I need some lard.
You can recognize the meaning of 'Schmalz' from the context. If it is about cooking and eating, it means fat. If it is about films, music, or art, it means exaggerated sentimentality. If it is about hair, it means a styling cream.
Zum Anbraten der Kartoffeln nehme ich immer Schmalz.
I always use lard to fry the potatoes.
In the culinary meaning, 'Schmalz' is often specified more precisely, e.g. as 'Griebenschmalz' (lard with crispy bits), 'Gänseschmalz' (goose fat), or 'Schweineschmalz' (pork lard). A typical meal is a 'Schmalzbrot' (bread with lard).
Ein frisches Brot mit Griebenschmalz ist eine Spezialität.
Fresh bread with lard and crispy bits is a specialty.
In the meaning 'exaggerated sentimentality', 'Schmalz' (schmaltz) is a colloquial and derogatory word. It describes something as kitschy or falsely emotional.
Die Schlussszene des Films war reiner Schmalz.
The final scene of the film was pure schmaltz.
fat / bold
When used for food, fett describes something that contains a lot of fat, and it is an adjective. Schmalz, on the other hand, refers to a specific type of animal fat that has been rendered by heating. Thus, you say that a dish is fett when describing its property, and use Schmalz when naming the ingredient.
Für die Kartoffeln verwendet Oma Schmalz statt Öl.
Grandma uses lard instead of oil for the potatoes.
Die Kartoffeln mit Schmalz sind sehr fett.
The potatoes made with lard are very fatty.
