Kinds of Smoked Sausage
There are many different kinds of smoked sausage, each with a distinct flavor stemming from the type of meats and spices used. Smoked sausages are produced by cooking or flavoring the sausage with smoke in order to prolong the preservation of the food. Does this Spark an idea?
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History
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The various kinds of smoked sausages are some of the oldest meat products in the world. Traditionally, makers of sausages would use meat scraps, organs, blood and fat in intestines of animals. These sausages were then smoked to preserve the nutritional value.
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Time Frame
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One of the earliest mentions of smoked sausage in history comes from book 20, verse 25 of Homer's "The Odyssey." He mentions a smoked blood sausage popular with ancient Greeks.
Features
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Preservation of smoke sausage has changed over the years. Originally, intestines and stomach linings were used as casings. However, modern smoked sausages often use collagen, cellulose or simply tins and jars to preserve the meat.
Significance
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Smoked sausages are available in two different formats: uncooked or ready-to-eat. The uncooked versions are primarily smoked for flavoring purposes and must be heated thoroughly, while the ready-to-eat versions can be consumed immediately.
Types
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Different types of smoke sausages are generally named from the region. The Frankfurt stems from Germany, the Vienna from Austria, the chorizo from Spain and the kielbasa from Poland. Others, such as "Slim Jims," are named by the company producing the smoked sausage.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Ernesto Andrade
