History Of Tallow

The use of tallow dates back to ancient times, with its historical origins tracing back to around 4000 BCE. It was primarily derived from animal fats, notably from beef and mutton. The rendering process, which involves heating the fat to separate the solids from the liquid fat, has been practiced for centuries.

In various cultures, tallow has served multiple purposes, including cooking, soap making, and candle making. Its versatility and abundance made it a valuable commodity throughout history.

“Ancient Roman legend gives soap its name: From Mount Sapo, where animals were sacrificed, rain washed a mixture of melted animal fats and wood ashes down into the Tiber River below. There, the soapy mixture was discovered to be useful for washing clothing and skin.” ~ History of Soap Making (http://www.sappohill.com/soaphistory.html) 

From books published in the 1800’s, recipes abound for tallow and lanolin-based balms. For everything from chilblains, burns, scalds, soothing chapped hands and lips, piles, rheumatic pain, cleaning babies heads, sore throats healing
sores, ulcers, wounds and ingrown toenails.

Tallow remained a significant component of daily life until the advent of modern alternatives. Even in recent times, tallow has found applications in industries such as lubricants and biofuels, although its traditional uses have somewhat diminished with the availability of synthetic substitutes.