can be very thick, and so for ease of eating the sausage is often sliced lengthways.
Lohimakkara (Finland)
With Finland’s abundance of clean, glassy waters and its “everyman’s rights” approach to countryside access, it comes as no surprise that fishing is a popular activity here. In fact, some 40% of Finland’s population take part in fishing events at least once every year. Salmon is a fish that thrives here, and also the key ingredient in one of Finland’s more unusual sausages; lohimakkara, which consists almost entirely of fish.
Kielbasa (Poland)
Kielbasa, being Polish for ‘sausage’, is an umbrella term for a myriad of varieties. Regional kielbasas may contain pork, beef, veal, lamb, chicken or turkey, and some are smoked while others are fresh. But they all share one thing in common: kielbasa is a staple of the Polish diet. One of the most popular varieties – and what we tend to refer to simply as ‘kielbasa’ in Britain and the United States – is Kielbasa Polska (Polish Sausage), which is pink in colour, garlic-flavoured (sometimes with marjoram) and traditionally fresh rather than smoked. The meat conventionally used in Kielbasa Polska is pork, with a small addition of beef.
Sucuk (Turkey)
Though extremely popular in Turkey, sucuk is a staple throughout the Balkans, the Middle East and Central Asia. Commonly, sucuk contains beef, although pork is more prominent an ingredient in non-Muslim countries, and horse meat can sometimes be used in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. It has a stiff texture and a spicy taste, often flavoured with red pepper, sumac, garlic and cumin. A popular Turkish dish involves frying slices of sucuk together with eggs.
Cervelas (Switzerland)
Affectionately known as Switzerland’s national sausage, cervelas’ name derives from the Latin cerebrum, as pre-19th century recipes used brain. Although there are regional variations, cervelas now typically contains beef, pork, pork rind and bacon, as well as spices and ice to bind the meat. It is a fat, short, smoky sausage, and there is a tradition within Swiss households of cutting each end of the sausage into four segments, which open up like the petals of a flower when cooked and give cervelas dishes a unique aesthetic.
Saucisson (France)
This thick French sausage is cured and served in dry slices after a period of being hung to dry with string. It conventionally contains lean pork, spices and nitrates, as well as fermenting bacteria which creates the saucisson’s white powdery coating. This bacterial mould means that good bacteria is growing within the sausage, lowering its pH value and subsequently lowering the chances of harmful bacterial growth. Saucission has been experimented with, and some varieties contain nuts, dried fruits, cheeses, wines or liquors.
Loukaniko (Greece)
In Greece, the term loukaniko is used to refer to sausages in general. However, in many English-speaking countries it has come to represent a particular variety of loukaniko, which conisists of pork or lamb with orange zest and fennel seeds. This sausage is flavoursome, and although originally cured and served dry, many have started to eat fresh loukanikos because the flavourings release a unique taste when cooked. The sausage is frequently served as part of a mezze platter.
Bratwurst (Germany)
Perhaps one of Germany’s most famous sausages, the bratwurst is typically pork, although it can contain veal or beef. There are countless regional variations, from the long and thick Fränkische Bratwurst to the small and thin Nürnberger Rostbratwurst. It is most commonly sold pre-cooked, and then pan-fried or grilled at home before consumption. When topped with tomato sauce and curry powder – or a combined mixture of the two – the bratwurst becomes currywurst, arguably one of Berlin’s most popular street foods.
Falukorv (Sweden)
Pale in colour and extremely smooth in texture, falukorv consists of grated pork and beef, or sometimes pork and veal. This Swedish sausage is smoky and mild, flavoured primarily with onion, salt and subtle spices. It is sold pre-cooked and ready to eat, but is often sliced and fried before serving, as a matter of taste. It is large, and traditionally sold with both ends tied together by a very short string, causing the sausage to curve into a distinctive horseshoe shape.
Medisterpølse (Denmark)
Medisterpølse is a very long, spicy sausage which is curled into a tight, flat coil and fried. Traditionally it is served as part of the Danish Christmas lunch, however it is widely considered to be a warming comfort food and can be eaten all year round. Outside of Christmas, it is conventionally served with red cabbage, gravy and boiled potatoes.
By Julia Watts
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