Question: are lard and shortening the same thing?
Answer: Shortening, butter and lard are pretty much interchangeable, but lard does have a distinctive taste that shortening doesn't have. Also lard is pig fat so it's high in cholesterol. Most shortening is made from vegetable fat - e.g., Crisco - and is generally flavorless. ... Also lard is pig fat so it's high in cholesterol.