Hungarian sausages are
sausages
A sausage is a type of meat product usually made from ground meat—often pork, beef, or poultry—along with salt, spices and other flavourings. Other ingredients, such as grains or breadcrumbs may be included as fillers or extenders.
W ...
found in the
cuisine of Hungary
Hungarian or Magyar cuisine is the cuisine characteristic of the nation of Hungary and its primary ethnic group, the Magyars. Traditional Hungarian dishes are primarily based on meats, seasonal vegetables, fruits, bread, and dairy products.
...
. Hungary produces a vast number of sui
sausage types. They may be boiled, fresh or dried, and smoked, with different spices and flavors, "hot" or "mild". Many were influenced by their neighbors and brethren.
These sausages may be eaten like a cold cut or used in a main course.
Hungarian cuisine
Hungarian or Magyar cuisine is the cuisine characteristic of the nation of Hungary and its primary ethnic group, the Magyars. Traditional Hungarian dishes are primarily based on meats, seasonal vegetables, fruits, bread, and dairy products. ...
uses these different types of sausages in many ways such as in stews, soups, potato stews like "
paprikás krumpli" (paprika-based stew with spicy sausage and potatoes), bean soups like
Jókai bableves, some goulash soup variations, pastry dishes, or even in salads.
The smoked sausages may contain bacon, ground pork, beef, boar or lamb,
paprika
Paprika ( US , ; UK , ) is a spice made from dried and ground red peppers. It is traditionally made from ''Capsicum annuum'' varietals in the Longum group, which also includes chili peppers, but the peppers used for paprika tend to be milder an ...
, salt,
garlic
Garlic (''Allium sativum'') is a species of bulbous flowering plant in the genus ''Allium''. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chive, Allium fistulosum, Welsh onion and Allium chinense, Chinese onion. It is native to South A ...
,
black pepper
Black pepper (''Piper nigrum'') is a flowering vine in the family Piperaceae, cultivated for its fruit, known as a peppercorn, which is usually dried and used as a spice and seasoning. The fruit is a drupe (stonefruit) which is about in diame ...
, allspice, white pepper,
caraway
Caraway, also known as meridian fennel and Persian cumin (''Carum carvi''), is a biennial plant in the family Apiaceae, native to western Asia, Europe, and North Africa.
Etymology
The etymology of "caraway" is unclear. Caraway has been ...
,
nutmeg
Nutmeg is the seed or ground spice of several species of the genus ''Myristica''. ''Myristica fragrans'' (fragrant nutmeg or true nutmeg) is a dark-leaved evergreen tree cultivated for two spices derived from its fruit: nutmeg, from its seed, an ...
, zest, marjoram, cayenne pepper, sugar, white wine or
cognac
Cognac ( , also , ) is a variety of brandy named after the Communes of France, commune of Cognac, France. It is produced in the surrounding wine-growing region in the Departments of France, departments of Charente and Charente-Maritime.
Cog ...
. Sausages may have additional ingredients like liver, mushroom, bread, rice, lemon juice, eggs, cream or milk.
The meat is coarsely ground and salted. If garlic is added, it is mashed in water to produce a slurry and added to the meat along with spices. The sausage is then stuffed into natural casings in 1-foot links - usually using the small intestine of the pig. This traditionally took place outside on the fall day when a pig was slaughtered. The sausage is then hung overnight to allow the flavors to meld and some of the grease to drip out. It is now ready to be used fresh and unsmoked. The unsmoked sausages are typically roasted with sauerkraut or red or green cabbage, and served with mashed potatoes.
The dry sausages are cold smoked and hung to cure before use.
Sausages
Kolbász
''Kolbász'' is a traditional Hungarian smoked sausage seasoned with
paprika
Paprika ( US , ; UK , ) is a spice made from dried and ground red peppers. It is traditionally made from ''Capsicum annuum'' varietals in the Longum group, which also includes chili peppers, but the peppers used for paprika tend to be milder an ...
. The best known and most popular versions are:
*''Gyulai'' sausage is named after the Hungarian town of
Gyula, and has
PGI protection. It is slow cooked while being beech wood smoked. It is made from pork, '
szalonna' (Hungarian bacon fat), garlic, pepper, caraway, and a Hungarian red
paprika
Paprika ( US , ; UK , ) is a spice made from dried and ground red peppers. It is traditionally made from ''Capsicum annuum'' varietals in the Longum group, which also includes chili peppers, but the peppers used for paprika tend to be milder an ...
. At the World Exhibition of Food in Brussels 1935, the Gyulai kolbász was awarded a gold diploma. The sausage may be cut into thin slices and eaten alone or with bread. They are also added to many Hungarian dishes including
lecsó
Lecsó ( en, Lecho, ; hu, lecsó ; Czech and Slovak: ''lečo''; german: Letscho; pl, leczo; Russian and ua, лечо) is a Hungarian thick vegetable ragout or stew which traditionally contains yellow pointed peppers, tomato, onion, salt, a ...
and potato/egg casserole (rakott krumpli).
*''Csabai'' sausage is made in the town
Békéscsaba
Békéscsaba (; sk, Békešská Čaba; see also #Name, other alternative names) is a City with county rights, city with county rights in southeast Hungary, the capital of Békés County.
Geography
Békéscsaba is located in the Great Hungarian ...
, and also has
Protected Geographical Status
Three European Union schemes of geographical indications and Traditional food, traditional specialties, known as protected designation of origin (PDO), protected geographical indication (PGI), and traditional specialities guaranteed (TSG), promo ...
(PGI) protection. It is similar to Gyulai, but somewhat spicier. There are several variations in size and type, but it is a spicy sausage with a lot of paprika.
*''Csemege kolbász'' is an mildly spiced cooked smoked sausage
*''Cserkész kolbász'' is a cooked smoked sausage made from beef and pork.
*''
Debreceni kolbász'' is usually unsmoked or more mildly smoked, with a strong paprika flavour and used for cooking.
*''Lecsókolbász'', a spicy cooked smoked sausage made specifically for serving as part of the dish
lecsó
Lecsó ( en, Lecho, ; hu, lecsó ; Czech and Slovak: ''lečo''; german: Letscho; pl, leczo; Russian and ua, лечо) is a Hungarian thick vegetable ragout or stew which traditionally contains yellow pointed peppers, tomato, onion, salt, a ...
,
[page 100] a vegetable stew with peppers and tomatoes.
Hurka
''Hurka'' are boiled sausages that come in two main types "májas" (liver sausage), and "véres" (
blood sausage
A blood sausage is a sausage filled with blood that is cooked or dried and mixed with a filler until it is thick enough to solidify when cooled. Most commonly, the blood of pigs, sheep, lamb, cow, chicken, or goose is used.
In Europe and the A ...
). The main ingredient is liver and rice, or blood and rice. Spices, pepper and salt are added.
Other cooked sausages
*''Virsli'', a
hot dog
A hot dog (uncommonly spelled hotdog) is a food consisting of a grilled or steamed sausage served in the slit of a partially sliced Hot dog bun, bun. The term hot dog can refer to the sausage itself. The sausage used is a wiener (Vienna sausag ...
–like long and thin sausage, consumed boiled with bread and mustard.
*''Párizsi '' (Parizer or Paris sausage), is a much larger, thicker version of virsli. It is very similar to the
Bologna
Bologna (, , ; egl, label= Emilian, Bulåggna ; lat, Bononia) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in Northern Italy. It is the seventh most populous city in Italy with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nat ...
.
Szalámi
Hungary's most famous
salami
Salami ( ) is a cured sausage consisting of fermented and air-dried meat, typically pork. Historically, salami was popular among Southern, Eastern, and Central European peasants because it can be stored at room temperature for up to 45 days ...
is téliszalámi (
Winter salami
Winter salami ( hu, téliszalámi) is a type of Hungarian salami produced according to a centuries-old tradition. Made from Mangalitsa pork and spices (white pepper, allspice, and others), winter salami is cured in cold air and smoked slowly. Dur ...
).
See also
*
List of dried foods
This is a list of dried foods. Food drying is a method of food preservation that works by removing water from the food, which inhibits the growth of bacteria and has been practiced worldwide since ancient times to preserve food. Where or when d ...
*
List of smoked foods
This is a list of smoked foods. Smoking is the process of flavoring, cooking, or preserving food by exposing it to smoke from burning or smoldering material, most often wood. Foods have been smoked by humans throughout history. Meats and fish a ...
References
Csabai Kolbász
External links
Hungarian sausage
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hungarian Sausages
Dried meat
Smoked meat