A rendered animal fat, most commonly from chicken, used as a cooking fat and flavoring in Ashkenazi Jewish and Eastern European cooking.
The fat is rendered slowly from chicken skin and trimmings, often with onion, garlic, or other aromatics added during rendering, which deepens its flavor beyond that of plain fat. In German cooking generally, Schmalz can mean any rendered fat, including pork lard; in Jewish cooking it specifically excludes pork and is most often chicken or goose fat, both permissible under kosher dietary law. It has a rich, savory, faintly nutty taste from the caramelization of fat and aromatics during rendering. Schmaltz is used for frying and sautéing and as an enriching fat in dishes such as latkes, matzo ball soup, and braises, and can substitute for butter or oil where a savory depth is wanted. It pairs well with onions, garlic, paprika, caraway, root vegetables, and poultry.