Ethnic Sausages

Webster's dictionary describes sausage as: "finely chopped and seasoned meat, especially pork, usually stuffed into a prepared animal intestine or other casing, and cooked or cured."

Simple, right? Well, sausages are as diverse as the individuals that make them, from the old-world home cook to the high-tech mass producer. They can be found in cuisines throughout the world, from the all-American hot dog to the Filipino longganisa.

Sausage manufacture began more than two thousand years ago, and it is still a growing industry. The first recognizable mention of sausage is found in a Greek play called "The Orya," or "The Sausage," written about 500 B.C. It was also a favorite food of the Romans, at one time becoming so popular for festive occasions that the early church banned sausage.

Today, sausages are still popular. According to data collected during the 52-week period ending April 21, 2002, by Information Resources Inc., for the National Hot Dog & Sausage Council, retail sales of refrigerated dinner sausage were more than $1.4 billion, up 7.8% from the previous year; frozen sausage sales were $190.8 million, up 11.3%; and breakfast sausage sales hit $864 million, a 4.4% increase.

The American public can select from literally hundreds of commercial products. And product designers can also find a wide variety of sausage recipes at their fingertips.

Sausage product falls into four main categories: fresh (e.g. pork breakfast sausage), cooked and smoked (e.g. bologna), cooked (e.g. liver sausage), and semi-dry and dry (e.g. Thuringer and pepperoni). Most sausages are basically ground meat, seasoned and flavored, with added fat, stuffed into casings. Natural casings can consist of hog, sheep or beef products, which may be enclosed in nettings to enhance appearance and allow these sausages to be hung for display. Artificial casings include collagen, cellulose and plastic versions. Commercial products often contain binders, preservatives and other additives for function or shelf life. Bulk sausage is flavored ground meat, usually pork, that is cooked like ground beef, or formed into patties. Some traditional sausages contain variety meats, such as tongues, lips and tripe.

Current trends include more flavors, spices and bolder seasonings to create appealing profiles, such as hot and spicy, and New Orleans-style. In addition, manufacturers are using alternative meats, not just chicken, but also lamb, goat, ostrich and elk. Other unique yet popular items, such as sun-dried tomato bits and goat cheese, have found their way into mainstream sausages around the world.

For foodservice use of sausages I turn to my secret contact, Michael Zeller, corporate development chef, R&D, for Johnsonville Sausage in Sheboygan, WI. (Forget about what they claim in the movie "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" -- Zeller is the undisputed Sausage King of the Midwest.) "Quality and convenience are on the top of the list," he says. "More and more people are looking at the quality of product they are getting. Is the product convenient, (does it) taste good and perform the way the consumer wants?"

"We are also seeing more sausage used on menus today because of the great flavors they produce, the ethnic variety and the fusions of foods," Zeller continues. "Many of the fusions of foods come from chefs blending recipes from different ethnic backgrounds with different ethnic sausage. For example, hot and spicy sausage blended into an Italian dish of pasta, garlic Alfredo, mushrooms and red wine gives this dish a real pop."

Each country's cuisine has influenced the flavors and dishes, which in turn can serve as inspiration for creating different types of sausage and expanding their uses.

Germany. Typical German cuisine varies according to each state's culinary tradition, to its regional agriculture, and to the new tastes of new Germans who have settled in the reunited country. Nordrhein Westfalen, Rheinland-Pfalz, Saarland and Baden-Württemberg's traditional specialties, for example, include ingredients typified in the agriculture around the Black Forest and the Rhine River, and by a wine tradition influenced by the proximity to Belgium, France and Switzerland. The typical German sausage is made of pork and veal, seasoned with a variety of spices including ginger, nutmeg, coriander or caraway. Although you will find it fully cooked in the U.S. market, German-type brats are usually found fresh.

Philippines. Filipinos still show a distinct preference for sour and salty flavors. And the flavor sources go well beyond vinegar and salt. Unripe fruits such as tamarind, mango and guava provide sour power as does the tiny kalamansi, a citrus halfway between an orange and a lime, which is sour even when ripe. For salty flavoring, Filipinos rely on patis, or fish sauce, bagoong, or shrimp paste, and, with the arrival of the Chinese, soy sauce. Some of these flavors have made their way into the region's sausages. Although citrus is not found in everyday sausage, it is an ingredient in the Filipino-Chinese-influenced sausages.

Spaniards introduced an entirely new range of ingredients and dishes. Adobo, of Spanish influence, is perhaps the best-known Filipino dish and influences the sausage. A mixture of pork and spices (such as thyme, bay leaf, oregano, paprika and garlic) salt and vinegar is stuffed in a sheep casing to create the new breed of Filipino sausage.

Brazil. Indigenous peoples, Portuguese explorers, African slaves, and Italian, German, Syrian, Lebanese and Asian immigrants influence Brazilian cuisine. Churrasco, or Brazilian barbecue, was the traditional staple food of the gauchos of Southern Brazil before it spread to Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. This dish also has become very fashionable and today there are excellent churrascarias all over Brazil and around the world. Waiters move from table to table bringing different types of meats on skewers from which they slice portions onto the customer's plate. Linguica-style sausage, brought over by the Portuguese colonists, and Brazilian Banko sausage (which is similar to a heavily spiced Polish-type sausage imported from Holland) are the two most-commonly used sausages in Brazil. These can be added to Brazil's national dish, feijoada, a black-bean stew that originated with African slaves who used leftovers to make a tasty meal. Traditionally served on Saturdays, the beans are spiced with garlic, onions, and bay leaves and left to stew for hours with a hodgepodge of meats that include sausage, beef, dried meat, and obscure bits of pork.

Austria. Austrian cuisine, in general, reflects an ethnically mixed people, exchanging culinary know-how with Turkish, Swiss, Alsatian, French, Spanish, Dutch, Italian, German, Bohemian-Moravian, Hungarian, Polish, Croatian, Slovenian, Slovakian, Serbian and Jewish cuisine. Typical Austrian dishes vary according to the regional culinary history and to each region's agriculture with its export/import tradition. You will find many Austrian-style sausages in Vienna, which has a sausage for every day of the month. Sausages like wienerpolse, Bavarian sausage, blood sausage, and Polish-influenced sausages top the list.

On street corners throughout Vienna you'll find Würstelstands, which sell frankfurters, bratwurst, curry wurst and other Austrian sausages, usually served on a roll mit senf (with mustard).

Poland. Polish sausages are some of the world's best sausages. (I am somewhat partial to food from Poland, being Polish myself.) Kielbasa is the generic word for sausage in Poland. Growing in popularity are beer salami, or Kielbasa Piwna; smoked Polish sausage, or Kaszanka Gryczana; liver sausage or Kiszka Pasztetowa; summer sausage, or Kielbasa Zywiecka; Tirolska salami, or Kielbasa Tirolska; and ham salami, or Kielbasa Szynkowa -- just to name a few.   One of my favorites is a unique sausage called Kielbasa Jalowiec (juniper berry sausage). Juniper is the main flavor highlight of this firm, full-bodied, smoked kielbasa. In addition to crushed juniper-berry seasoning, it is also smoked in juniper-wood smoke.

Because of the variety of sausages found around the world, a glossary might come in handy.

Abruzzo. This rich, mild spiced sausage from the southern Abruzzo region of Italy is very dark in color and made with pork livers.

Andouille, Cajun andouille, Louisiana andouille. This spicy smoked pork sausage is used in jambalaya and gumbo. Don't confuse it with the milder French andouille sausage. Closest substitute: kielbasa.

Andouillette. This tripe sausage is a small version of French andouille sausage. Definitely not a party pleaser, but some people have grown accustomed to its taste. Closest substitutes: French andouille (larger) or Italian sweet sausage.

Bauerwurst, bauernwurst. This chunky German farmer's sausage is often grilled and served on a bun or cooked with sauerkraut.

Blood sausage, blood pudding, black pudding, black sausage, boudin noir. These eggplant-colored sausages are made of pig's blood mixed with fat; filler, such as breadcrumbs; and flavorings that vary from region to region. They're usually sold precooked, but most people heat them before serving. Regional varieties include Germany's blutwurst, Louisiana's boudin rouge and Spanish morcilla. Closest substitutes: zungenwurst or boudin blanc.

Blutwurst. This spicy and salty German blood sausage, made from pork, beef and beef blood, is popular as a snack or mixed with sauerkraut. Although precooked, the sausage is usually heated before serving. Closest substitute: blood sausage.

Bockwurst. This mild German sausage is made with veal, pork, milk and eggs, and seasoned with chives and parsley. Cook before serving and use soon after purchase - it's very perishable. Closest substitute: bratwurst.

Boerewors, boeries, wors, boerewurst. This spicy South African farmer's sausage is made with beef, pork and pork fat, and seasoned with coriander. Cook before serving.

Boudin blanc, white boudin. This white sausage mixes meat (pork, chicken or veal) and rice. France produces a very delicate milk-based version, while the Cajun version includes a lot of rice as filler, making it chewier and more flavorful. Closest substitutes: weisswurst or bratwurst.

Boudin rouge, red boudin. This Cajun specialty, similar to boudin blanc, includes pork blood. Use it soon after purchase. Closest substitutes: blood sausage, boudin blanc or blutwurst.

Bratwurst. This is made with pork and veal, and now there are all-beef versions as well, which are seasoned with subtle spices. It usually needs to be cooked before eating, though some markets carry pre-cooked bratwurst. Closest substitutes: weisswurst, boudin blanc or bockwurst.

Breakfast sausage patty. These pork patties are heavily seasoned and usually fried before serving.

Banger. This is a mild British pork sausage.

Chaurice. This spicy pork sausage is used in jambalaya and other Creole and Cajun dishes. It's available either in links or patties, but hard to find outside of Louisiana. Closest substitute: andouille.

Chipolata. These pork sausages are as small as Vienna sausages, but much spicier. Closest substitutes: Vienna sausage or cocktail wieners.

Chorizo. Spanish chorizo is made from pork, and very hot and spicy. Closest substitutes: kielbasa, pepperoni or other dry-cured pork sausage, linguisa (hotter) or Mexican chorizo (this needs to be cooked).

Chourico, chouriço. This heavily seasoned Portuguese pork sausage, is typically found in traditional Portuguese markets. Closest substitutes: Spanish chorizo, linguisa (milder), linguica (milder), hot Italian sausage, garlic sausage or pepperoni.

Cotechino. This mild and fatty Italian pork sausage is formed into links, which should be pierced before cooking to allow some of the fat to drain out.

Cumberland. This British pork sausage is usually displayed in markets as a long coil, and is sold by the length rather than by the link. It's often baked in the oven with cabbage and potatoes.

French andouille. Don't confuse this with Cajun andouille, which is a much spicier version. Closest substitute: andouillette (smaller).

Goetta. Cincinnati's answer to scrapple mixes oatmeal and sausage in sheep casing that is fried for service. Closest substitute: scrapple.

Haggis. Stuffing a sheep's stomach with the chopped mixture of the animal's heart, lungs and liver, and then adding oatmeal, onion, fat and seasonings make this large Scottish sausage. It's usually steamed before serving.

Italian. This pork sausage, sold either as links or in bulk, is often added to pasta sauces. Varieties include sweet Italian sausage; mild Italian sausage, flavored with garlic and fennel seed; and hot Italian sausage, spiced with a shake or two of crushed chile peppers.   Cook thoroughly before serving.

Kielbasa, kolbasa, Polish sausage, knublewurst, Polnische wurst. This smoked Polish sausage is made with pork and/or beef and flavored with garlic, pimento, and cloves. Although precooked, most people still heat them before serving. Closest substitutes: andouille, Spanish chorizo or linguica.

Kishke, kishka, kiske, kiska, kiszka, der·ma, stuffed derma. This Jewish specialty consists of beef intestines stuffed with matzo meal, onion and suet.

Knackwurst, knockwurst, knoblauch. These smoked beef sausages, seasoned with lots of garlic, often are served like hot dogs or smothered in sauerkraut. Closest substitute: hot dogs.

Kolbasz. This Hungarian sausage is similar to Polish kielbasa, with the addition of paprika. Closest substitute: kielbasa.

Landjager, landjaeger. The name means "hunter," perhaps because this smoked beef sausage needs no refrigeration and was handy to take on hunts. Look for thin flat sticks in German delis. Closest substitutes: pepperoni or salami.

Lap Cheong, lap chong, lap chung, lop chong, Chinese dried sausages, Chinese sausage. These pork sausages look and feel like pepperoni, but are much sweeter. Closest substitutes: chorizo, salami or ham (diced).

Linguica. This fairly spicy, Portuguese smoked garlic sausage should be cooked before serving. Closest substitutes: linguisa, kielbasa, Spanish chorizo or andouille.

Longanisa, Longaniza. Made with fresh pork, soy sauce and garlic, this sausage is served as a unique version of longanisa carbonara, sliced sausage with mushrooms, celery, peppers, beef bouillon and heavy whipping cream. Closest substitute: kielbasa.

Loukanika. This spicy Greek sausage is made with lamb, pork, and orange rind.

Medisterpolse. This Danish pork sausage is very strong-flavored. Generous amounts of clove and allspice make this sausage an acquired taste, usually simply served with sautéed mushrooms.

Merguez sausage, mirkâs. This North African lamb sausage is seasoned with garlic and hot spices, and is often used in couscous dishes.

Mettwurst, metts. At least two kinds of sausages answer to the name mettwurst. In Cincinnati the name describes a smoked, kielbasa-like sausage made with beef and pork, seasoned with pepper and coriander, typically grilled and served on a bun. Elsewhere, mettwurst is soft like liverwurst and ready to eat as a spread on crackers and bread. Closest substitutes: kielbasa or bratwurst (for Cincinnati's mettwurst) or teewurst (for spreadable mettwurst).

Morcilla. Spain's salty version of blood sausage is usually made with onion or rice as a filler. Closest substitute: boudin rouge.

Pepperoni. This spicy sausage, made with beef and pork, is hard and chewy, and makes a terrific pizza topping. Closest substitutes: salami, lap cheong (sweeter), Spanish chorizo, or Canadian bacon.

Pinkelwurst. This German sausage, made with beef and/or pork, onions, oats, and bacon, is often served with potatoes.

Potato Korv. This very mild Swedish sausage is made from beef, pork, and veal. Cooked potatoes, milk and spices make this a very unique Swedish delicacy.

Scrapple. A Pennsylvania Dutch specialty, this is a mixture of sausage and cornmeal. It's often slowly fried and served with eggs and grits. Closest substitute: goetta.

Sujuk, soujouk - yershig. This spicy Lebanese beef sausage is found in Middle Eastern markets. Closest substitutes: pepperoni or salami.

Toulouse. This exquisite French sausage is usually made with pork, smoked bacon, wine, and garlic -- great in a casserole. Cook it before serving. Closest substitutes: kielbasa or Italian sweet sausage.

Weisswurst, weißwürste, white sausage. These light-colored, mildly seasoned German veal sausages, are popular with potato salad during Oktoberfest. Cook before eating. Closest substitutes: bockwurst, bratwurst or boudin blanc.

These descriptions can serve as the point of departure for developing unique varieties. Sausage may be simply "finely chopped and seasoned meat," but it provides a world of possibilities.       

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