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Thursday, 2 November 2023

Sizzling Sausages

Sharing an article about 'sizzling sausages' by Shash Wighton which I hope you will find an interesting read. There are also some recipe suggestions at the end of the post.


"Seven Sizzling Facts About Sausages
Imagine you were to do a culinary tour of the world, sampling the different foods available everywhere you went.

Every different country and culture has a different cuisine, which in turn uses a large variety of products.

While there are, of course, many differences between different cultures’ foods, one food, in particular, can be found almost anywhere, in a variety of different shapes, fillings, sizes, and even lengths!

Today we’re going to talk about sausages, in all their forms, ranging from the best to the wurst!

Sausages have many different names around the world!
It would be impossible to name them all here, so instead, let’s look at some of the more unique ones!

First, on the list, we have the merguez sausage, which comes from the north of Africa.

The merguez is a very long, thin sausage typically made from beef, lamb, or a mixture of the two and a range of spices, including paprika, sumac, harissa, and Cayenne pepper.

Next, we have boerewors from South Africa, which can be made of game animals or beef mixed with lamb or pork.

The meat filling is ground much more coarsely than your average sausage and is commonly mixed with coriander and vinegar and then shaped into a long, spiral shape.

The kamaboko from Japan is technically classified as a sausage, although it’s not made from pork, beef, lamb, or any other animal.

Instead, it’s made from a fish paste that has been cured and then ground, shaped into a half-moon, and then left to dry.

The following deserve their own full description, but for now, we’ll simply list them: droë wors, hóng cháng, lap cheong, sundae, chorizo, longaniza, sai ua, naem, sucuk, banger, snag, chipolata, black pudding, lukanka, kulen, nakki, ryynimakkara, saucisson, frankfurter, kolbász, salsiccia, rookworst, falukorv, Butifarras Soledeñas, salami, and oh, so many more!

Sausages have been around for more than 5,000 years!
And that’s just from our recorded history!

The first sausages that made their way into written records were from a region of the world Mesopotamia, which nowadays covers the countries of Kuwait, Iraq, and parts of Saudi Arabia.

According to the records available to us today, the first culture to create the world’s favourite dish was the Sumerians, with the records going all the way back to 3100 BC!

Sausages were invented as a way to preserve meat.
These days it’s easy. You can go to a supermarket, pick up a fresh pack of meat, bring it home, and whack it in the fridge.

If you don’t feel like using it straight away, you can pop it in the freezer and save it for another day, week, or even month, all without a thought!

Things weren’t always that simple, though.

One of the original ways of preserving meat was to salt it, which is to cure it in a large container of salt.

This method would preserve the meat, allowing it to last throughout a season if looked after properly.

At some point in time, the Sumerians, or possibly an earlier culture, figured out that if you stuffed all your excess meat into some intestines and then salted it, it could last even longer, making it even tastier!

The world largest Cumberland sausage ring weighed nearly 300 pounds!
For those of you who like things metric, that’s an incredible 135 kg!

The record was achieved by a pig farmer called Gary McClure from the town of Broughton-in-Furness, a small town in the region of Cumbria, UK.

The Cumberland sausage ring that held the previous record was an already impressive 5 feet (1.5m) in diameter, but McClure wanted to really smash the record.

The sausage ring that McClure crafted ended up being much, much bigger, though, with a diameter of nearly 10 feet (3.3m)!

Crafting a sausage of such size was no small feat, either.

It took McClure more than six hours to build it and a further 90 minutes to cook it, and that’s not including the time to grind all the meat!

The world’s first “vegetarian” sausage wasn’t actually meat-free!
Let’s take a trip back to 1918, to the time of the First World War.

Food was in high demand, and supplies worldwide were becoming more and more scarce.

A German Chancellor by the name of Konrad Adenauer sought to solve the shortage of meat with a sausage that had never been seen before – a soya sausage!

This sausage was unlike any before because it was made primarily from high-protein soy flour.

This sausage did actually still have some meat in it, but it was only enough to give the taste of a “real” sausage.

Since then, food has come a long way, and it’s been possible for a while now to get a vegetarian sausage that’s actually vegetarian.

These sausages are made up of different vegetables and spices and then commonly encased in a special plant-based casing.

There are more than 500 different recipes for sausages in the UK.
If you think you like sausages, wait ‘til you meet your average Brit!

Sausages have been a staple part of the British diet for thousands of years, ever since the Romans invaded and brought them along as a stable food source.

Since then, the Brits have managed to experiment with an almost endless amount of combinations to find the perfect sausage.

While many will argue that their sausage is indeed the best, you’ll find a man in the next village over claiming the same!

The result is more than 500 different recipes that could suit almost anyone!

The only real way to try them all would be to have a proper sausage party.

Sausages play a key role in Australian politics.
Your average Australian absolutely loves a good sausage sizzle, which involves a stall being set up where you can buy a freshly barbecued sausage on a piece of white bread with your choice of condiments for the low price of a couple of bucks.

You’ll find sausage sizzles being held all over the country, with the proceeds usually going to various local charities, school sports fundraisers, and so on.

There’s one particular type of sausage that has a special reverence above all others.

It’s called the Democracy Sausage, and it just happened to be the Australian Word of the Year in 2016.

As your average Australian loves a good snag (sausage), some bright spark figured out that fundraising in front of polling booths for state and federal elections would be a smashing success, and what better way to raise funds than with a sausage sizzle?

And so, just like that, the Democracy Sausage was born.


Democracy sausages being barbecued at the polling booth
Kenmore State School, Queensland, Australia
image from here

Sausages are great. I think we can all agree on that.

It doesn’t matter whether you eat beef, pork, lamb, or no meat at all; there’s a sausage for you!

They’ve been around for over 5,000 years now, and I can’t see a single reason for them to ever go out of fashion!"
The above taken from article here

Related Posts
Sausages, a few recipe suggestions see here
Mushroom and Sausage Classic Casserole see here
Sausages with creamy lentils see here


~ wishing you a happy day ~

You will find a variety of articles and recipe ideas within this blog. It is important to note, not all may be suitable for you. If you may have any food allergies, or underlying health issues these must always be taken into account. If you are a diabetic and not sure how certain foods may affect your blood sugars, test is best, i.e. use your meter. If you have any concerns about your health it is always advisable to consult your Doctor or health care team.

All the best Jan

25 comments:

Lee said...

I bought an air fryer the other other. Just a small one...3.2lt...but it's all I need, and will save on power, which is important these days more than ever.

Catarina said...

I have learnt a lot about sausages tonight!!
I believe the first picture shows Italian sausages. They are really, really good!

J.P. Alexander said...

Me gustan las salchichas. Gracias por la receta. Te mando un beso.

Tom said...

...sausage is a treat!

Angie's Recipes said...

I do enjoy sausages once in a while...thank you for sharing some fun facts about them.

Lorrie said...

I'm definitely a sausage fan. There are several I enjoy - Bratwurst, salami, breakfast sausages, and a special farmer's sausage made in the town where my parents live.

Iris Flavia said...

What I think is sad (but understandable) that Aussies mostly use gas grills.
In Germany we certainly use coal and that makes all the difference.
Didn´t know this about Adenauer. He sure was a wise man. Look at our politicians these "days"...

Christine said...

They sure are delicious!

Elephant's Child said...


Even before I gave up meat sausages were far from my favourite food. Himself eats them with pleasure though. As do my brothers.

Margaret D said...

There is nothing like a sausage in bread with onion on top Jan..

Fun60 said...

Just reading the title had my mouth watering.

eileeninmd said...

I like sausage with roasted veggies, yum!

Take care, have a great day!

Francisco Manuel Carrajola Oliveira said...

Hummm devem de ser deliciosas.
Um abraço e continuação de uma boa semana.

Andarilhar
Dedais de Francisco e Idalisa
Livros-Autografados

Jeanie said...

I love sausage and smoked meats. I'd never heard the term snag before -- I like that! Thanks for another fun and interesting post.

Aritha V. said...

That is so interesting! I love the Dutch "rookworst". This one is distinct due to its smoky flavor, coarse texture, specific ingredients, preparation methods, and cultural significance in Dutch cuisin.

Conniecrafter said...

Wow I didn't know there were that many different kinds of sausage.
300 pounds of sausage that is incredible, can't even comprehend such a thing :)

Bill said...

When I buy sausage, I try and get turkey sausage.

Valerie-Jael said...

I like sausages, but not hot dogs! Valerie

Snowbird said...

What an interesting post. My father was obsessed with sausages.xxx

Mary Kirkland said...

I love different sausages, they go well with so many dishes.

Lisabella Russo said...

Ranging from the best to the wurst, tee hee, I love wordplay...

HappyK said...

Our favorite sausages are hot Italian ones.

roentare said...

Australian sausages are not that great. It is over baked in media as overrated cultural asset of Australia.

John's Island said...

Hi Jan, I love sausage. Now, how about this: Recently I tried a Polish Kielbasa, which is pretty close to being sausage, isn't it? Anyway, I love the taste. I made a very easy lunch by heating the kielbasa in the microwave with some canned turkey (be careful when selecting) chile on top. A delicious lunch. Best regards to you and Eddie. John

Teresa said...

Algunas variedades de salchichas me gustan pero no todas. Gracias por tan buena información. Besos.