Fatty snack goes glam in Lviv

The French have snails, the Icelanders rotten shark and the Scots haggis. And as it goes, the Ukrainians themselves have a national dish that doesn't always appeal to uninitiated guests. It's called salto, which in reality is little more than cured pig's fat.

Ukrainians love the stuff, and even though few would hail it as the country's most sophisticated dish, one Lviv entrepreneur has taken it upon himself to give the grub a glam makeover.

Mark Zarkhin has opened up a snazzy venue in the heart of Lviv, providing a witty twist to the national dish.

With a dcor that feels like a cross between a slick sushi bar and a trendy art gallery, the simply-named Salto looks set to be a hit with punters during next year's Euro 2012 championships.

Besides being able to order up every type of salto under the sun, guests can also savour works of art sculpted from the stuff, some of which can be guzzled on site.

Indeed, peckish punters can order up such curious dishes as Monroe's Lips and David's penis.

We are being ironic about ourselves and about our tastes," Zarkhin told AFP.