A slim Ukrainian stuffed slice after slice of salo into his mouth, earning a prize for finishing a kilogram of this Ukrainian delicacy in 20 minutes — and raising this ex-Soviet republic's romance with pork fat to a new level.

Volodymr Stregalin's feat — that's 2.2 pounds of hog fat — was just of many at Ukraine's biggest-ever salo festival, "With Love to Salo," aimed at highlighting one of Ukraine's most famous foods, a source of Ukrainian pride but also the brunt of jokes. The two-day event in the western Ukrainian city of Lutsk attracted several hundred visitors, including journalists from around the former Soviet Union.

"I can easily eat another half a kilogram (1 pound). Salo is so tasty," the 51-year-old Stregalin told reporters, his face turning deeper shades of green as he spoke.

Salo, pronounced SAH-lo, is a Ukrainian tradition that dates back centuries, beloved for its high-calorie content and packed with vitamins. Slabs of fat are typically trimmed into small slices and eaten with a shot of vodka or horilka, as vodka is known in Ukrainian. Ukrainians often spread salo and garlic on their bread instead of butter. Salo can also be salted, smoked, peppered or spiced.

Ukrainians have written poems and songs about their national dish, which has become the stereotypical Ukrainian food, similar to Belgian chocolates or Russian vodka. "Salo, it has existed always. Salo, it will exist always. What is the sweetest in the world? Salo. What is the tastiest in the world. Salo," goes one of the many songs devoted to pork fat.

"Only salo can be better than salo," said teacher Andriy Demytsyuk, who was one of 233 people holding up a 43-meter (141-foot) long salo-and-onion sandwich. "It is our national pride."

It can be purchased in any Ukrainian market and is offered as an appetizer on most Ukrainian menus. Salo is one of the favorite souvenirs that visitors from neighboring ex-Soviet republics such as Belarus or Russia bring home after a visit to Ukraine. Some Ukrainian restaurants have also even begun offering chocolate-coated salo.

Valentyn Rybalko, a scientist who has spent 40 years studying salo, came to the festival wearing a tie decorated with small pink pigs. He said that if you eat an ounce of pork fat every day, you'll reach age 90.

"In any circumstance and in any case, every Ukrainian must eat salo," he said. "Despite how much we eat, it's not enough."

The festival, which attracted several hundred people, also included a pig beauty contest, featuring Yulia, dressed in a black lace skirt and underwear, and Snow, in tails and a bowler hat; both stole the show, but neither walked away with the top prize.

At the end, guests were invited to eat from another giant horse shoe-shaped sandwich, filled with 85 kilograms (187 pounds) of salo and extending 22 square meters (236 square feet) making it the biggest salo sandwich in the world. Visitors were encouraged to wash down the fat with a shot of vodka.

"I adore salo. It is healthy and it improves my mood," said designer Halyna Gagaryna. "I cannot imagine how some people live without it."

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asap contributor Natasha Lisova is an AP reporter based in Kiev, Ukraine.

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