In
North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...
, Italian sausage (''salsiccia'' in
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance language
*** Regional Ita ...
) most often refers to a style of
pork
Pork is the culinary name for the meat of the domestic pig (''Sus domesticus''). It is the most commonly consumed meat worldwide, with evidence of pig husbandry dating back to 5000 BCE.
Pork is eaten both freshly cooked and preserved; ...
sausage
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.
...
. The sausage is often noted for being seasoned with
fennel
Fennel (''Foeniculum vulgare'') is a flowering plant species in the carrot family. It is a hardy, perennial herb with yellow flowers and feathery leaves. It is indigenous to the shores of the Mediterranean but has become widely naturalized ...
as the primary seasoning. In Italy, however, a wide variety of sausages are made, many of which are quite different from the aforementioned product.
The most common varieties marketed as "Italian sausage" in
supermarket
A supermarket is a self-service Retail#Types of outlets, shop offering a wide variety of food, Drink, beverages and Household goods, household products, organized into sections. This kind of store is larger and has a wider selection than earli ...
s are hot, sweet, and mild.
The main difference between hot and mild is the addition of hot red pepper flakes to the spice mix of the former. The difference between mild and sweet is the addition of
sweet basil
Basil (, ; ''Ocimum basilicum'' , also called great basil, is a culinary herb of the family Lamiaceae (mints). It is a tender plant, and is used in cuisines worldwide. In Western cuisine, the generic term "basil" refers to the variety also kno ...
in the latter.
In
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
, a variety of mild ''salsiccia fresca'' (literally meaning "fresh sausage") seasoned primarily with fennel is sold as "Italian sausage".
History
Initially known as "
lucanica
Lucanica was a rustic pork sausage in Ancient Roman cuisine.
Apicius documents it as a spicy, smoked beef or pork sausage originally from Lucania; according to Cicero and Martial, it was brought by Roman troops or slaves from Lucania.
It has give ...
", the first evidence of the sausage dates back to the 1st century BC, when the Roman historian
Marcus Terentius Varro
Marcus Terentius Varro (; 116–27 BC) was a Roman polymath and a prolific author. He is regarded as ancient Rome's greatest scholar, and was described by Petrarch as "the third great light of Rome" (after Vergil and Cicero). He is sometimes calle ...
described stuffing spiced and salted meat into pig intestines, as follows: "They call lucanica a minced meat stuffed into a casing, because our soldiers learned how to prepare it". Confirmation of the birth in
Basilicata
it, Lucano (man) it, Lucana (woman)
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are also the writings of Cicero and Martial that mention Lucania as the birthplace of the sausage.
See also
*
Sausage and peppers
Sausage and peppers is a dish in Italian-American cuisine prepared using Italian sausage and peppers (such as bell peppers) as primary ingredients. It is served as a dish on its own, sometimes with the use of additional ingredients such as tomato ...
*
Sausage sandwich
A sausage sandwich is a sandwich containing cooked sausage. It may consist of an oblong bread roll such as a baguette or ciabatta roll, and sliced or whole links of sausage, such as hot or sweet Italian sausage, Polish sausage, German sausage ( ...
References
American sausages
Italian sausages
Italian-American cuisine
Italian-American culture in New York City
Cuisine of New York City
Fresh sausages
{{US-cuisine-stub