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Kielbasa (, ; from Polish ) is any type of meat
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. ...
from
Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...
and a staple of
Polish cuisine Polish cuisine ( ) is a style of food preparation originating in and widely popular in Poland. Due to History of Poland, Poland's history, Polish cuisine has evolved over the centuries to be very eclectic, and shares many similarities with other ...
. In
American English American English, sometimes called United States English or U.S. English, is the set of variety (linguistics), varieties of the English language native to the United States. English is the Languages of the United States, most widely spoken lang ...
, it is typically a coarse, U-shaped smoked sausage of any kind of meat, which closely resembles the ''Wiejska'' ''sausage'' (typically pork only).


Etymology and usage

The word entered English directly from the Polish ' and Czech ', meaning "sausage". Both these forms can be derived from a
Proto-Slavic Proto-Slavic (abbreviated PSl., PS.; also called Common Slavic or Common Slavonic) is the unattested, reconstructed proto-language of all Slavic languages. It represents Slavic speech approximately from the 2nd millennium BC through the 6th ...
''*kъlbasa'', which is also the source of Russian колбаса, Ukrainian , Croatian ', etc. This in turn was borrowed from a Turkic form equivalent to ''*kol basa'', literally "hand-pressed", or ''*kül basa'', literally "ash-pressed", making it cognate with modern Turkish '. The terms entered English simultaneously from different sources, which accounts for the different spellings. Usage varies between cultural groups and countries, but overall there is a distinction between American and Canadian usage. In New Jersey,
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...
and most areas of Greater New York City, a plural Polish transitional form is sometimes seen, ' (). Canadians also use the word ''kolbassa'' or ''kubasa'' ( or ), an Anglicization of the Ukrainian (), and
Alberta Alberta is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Canada. It is a part of Western Canada and is one of the three Canadian Prairies, prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to its west, Saskatchewan to its east, t ...
ns even abbreviate it as ''kubie'' to refer to the sausage eaten on a
hot dog bun A hot dog bun is a type of soft bun shaped specifically to contain a hot dog or another type of sausage. The side-loading bun is common in most of the United States, while the top-loading New England–style hot dog bun is popular in that r ...
.


Varieties and regional variations


Poland

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. ...
is a staple of
Polish cuisine Polish cuisine ( ) is a style of food preparation originating in and widely popular in Poland. Due to History of Poland, Poland's history, Polish cuisine has evolved over the centuries to be very eclectic, and shares many similarities with other ...
and comes in dozens of varieties, smoked or fresh, made with
pork Pork is the culinary name for the meat of the pig (''Sus domesticus''). It is the most commonly consumed meat worldwide, with evidence of pig animal husbandry, husbandry dating back to 8000–9000 BCE. Pork is eaten both freshly cooke ...
,
beef Beef is the culinary name for meat from cattle (''Bos taurus''). Beef can be prepared in various ways; Cut of beef, cuts are often used for steak, which can be cooked to varying degrees of doneness, while trimmings are often Ground beef, grou ...
,
turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...
, lamb,
chicken The chicken (''Gallus gallus domesticus'') is a domesticated subspecies of the red junglefowl (''Gallus gallus''), originally native to Southeast Asia. It was first domesticated around 8,000 years ago and is now one of the most common and w ...
or
veal Veal is the meat of Calf (animal), calves, in contrast to the beef from older cattle. Veal can be produced from a calf of either sex and any List of cattle breeds, breed; however, most veal comes from young male calves of Dairy cattle, dairy b ...
with every region having its own speciality. Of these, the ''kiełbasa lisiecka'', produced in Małopolskie,Polish Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development - Kiełbasa Lisiecka info
() . Accessed 1 November 2010.
''kiełbasa biała parzona wielkopolska'' and ''kiełbasa piaszczańska'' are
Protected Geographical Indication 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 speciality guaranteed (TSG), promote ...
s in the EU and the UK.EU Directory of PGI/PDO/TSG - Kiełbasa Lisiecka profile
Accessed 1 November 2010.
Furthermore, '' Kabanosy staropolskie'', ''Kiełbasa jałowcowa staropolska'', ''
Kiełbasa krakowska sucha staropolska Kielbasa (, ; from Polish ) is any type of meat sausage from Poland and a staple of Polish cuisine. In American English, it is typically a coarse, U-shaped smoked sausage of any kind of meat, which closely resembles the ''Wiejska'' ''sausage'' ...
'', and ''Kiełbasa myśliwska staropolska'' are Traditional Specialities Guaranteed in the UK and EU as well. There are official Polish government guides and classifications of sausages based on size, meat, ready-to-eat or uncooked varieties. Originally made at home in
rural area In general, a rural area or a countryside is a geographic area that is located outside towns and cities. Typical rural areas have a low population density and small settlements. Agricultural areas and areas with forestry are typically desc ...
s, there are a wide variety of recipes for kielbasa preparation at home and for holidays. Kielbasa is also one of the most traditional foods served at Polish weddings.


Types

* ''
kabanos Kabanos (; , plural: ), also known as cabanossi or kabana, is a long, thin, dry sausage usually made of pork which originated in Poland. They are smoky in flavor, and can be soft or very dry in texture depending on freshness. Typically, they are ...
'', a thin, air-dried sausage flavoured with
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 ...
seed, originally made of pork, sometimes a horse meat variation may be found. * ''kiełbasa odesska'', made with beef. * ''kiełbasa wędzona'', Polish smoked sausage, used often in soups. * '' krakowska'', a thick, straight sausage hot-smoked with pepper and garlic; its name comes from
Kraków , officially the Royal Capital City of Kraków, is the List of cities and towns in Poland, second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city has a population of 804,237 ...
* ''wiejska'' (), farmhouse or countryside sausage, often in a large U. Pork and veal sausage with marjoram and
garlic Garlic (''Allium sativum'') is a species of bulbous flowering plants in the genus '' Allium''. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chives, Welsh onion, and Chinese onion. Garlic is native to central and south Asia, str ...
, sometimes also containing small amounts of
coriander Coriander (), whose leaves are known as cilantro () in the U.S. and parts of Canada, and dhania in parts of South Asia and Africa, is an annual plant, annual herb (''Coriandrum sativum'') in the family Apiaceae. Most people perceive the ...
; its name means "rural" or (an adjectival use of) "country", or (adjectival use of) "village". * ''weselna'', "
wedding A wedding is a ceremony in which two people are united in marriage. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnicity, ethnicities, Race (human categorization), races, religions, Religious denomination, denominations, Cou ...
" sausage, medium thick, u-shaped smoked sausage; often eaten during parties, but not exclusively. * ''
kaszanka Kaszanka is a traditional blood sausage in Central and Eastern European cuisine. It is made of a mixture of pig's blood, pork offal (commonly liver), and buckwheat ( kasha) or barley stuffed in a pig intestine. It is usually flavored with onion ...
'', ''kiszka'' or ''krupniok'' is a traditional
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 ...
or
black pudding Black pudding is a distinct national type of blood sausage originating in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It is made from pork or occasionally beef Blood as food, blood, with Lard, pork fat or Suet, beef suet, and a cereal, usually oatmeal, oat ...
. An
Upper Silesia Upper Silesia ( ; ; ; ; Silesian German: ; ) is the southeastern part of the historical and geographical region of Silesia, located today mostly in Poland, with small parts in the Czech Republic. The area is predominantly known for its heav ...
n version using breadcrumbs instead of groat is called ''żymlok'' from "żymła" – bread roll . * '' myśliwska'' is a smoked, dried pork sausage, similar to ''
kabanos Kabanos (; , plural: ), also known as cabanossi or kabana, is a long, thin, dry sausage usually made of pork which originated in Poland. They are smoky in flavor, and can be soft or very dry in texture depending on freshness. Typically, they are ...
'' but much thicker. * '' kiełbasa biała'', a white sausage sold uncooked and often used in soups such as '' barszcz biały', probably of Bavarian or
Thuringian Thuringian is an East Central German dialect group spoken in much of the modern German Free State of Thuringia north of the Rennsteig ridge, southwestern Saxony-Anhalt and adjacent territories of Hesse and Bavaria. It is close to Upper Saxon s ...
origin. The most popular kiełbasa is also called "Kiełbasa Polska" ("Polish Sausage") or "Kiełbasa Starowiejska" ("Old Countryside Sausage"). In Poland, kiełbasa is often served garnished with fried onions. Smoked kiełbasa can be served cold, hot, boiled, baked or grilled. It is used in soups such as '' żurek'' (sour rye soup), ''kapuśniak'' (cabbage soup), or ''grochówka'' (pea soup), baked or cooked with
sauerkraut Sauerkraut (; , ) is finely cut raw cabbage that has been fermented by various lactic acid bacteria. It has a long shelf life and a distinctive sour flavor, both of which result from the lactic acid formed when the bacteria ferment the sugar ...
, or added to bean dishes and stews (notably '' bigos'', a Polish national dish). Kiełbasa is also very popular served as a cold cut on a platter, usually for an appetizer at traditional Polish parties. It is also a common snack (''zagrycha'') served with beer or plain vodka.


Canada

In Canada, varieties typical of Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Czech Republic, western Ukraine, and elsewhere are available in supermarkets, and more specific varieties can be found in specialty shops. The world's largest display model of a Ukrainian sausage is a
roadside attraction A roadside attraction is a feature along the side of a road meant to attract tourists. In general, these are places one might stop on the way to somewhere, rather than being a destination. They are frequently advertised with billboard (advertis ...
in
Mundare Mundare is a town in central Alberta, Canada. It is approximately east of Edmonton at the intersection of Alberta Highway 15, Highway 15 and Alberta Highway 855, Highway 855, north of the Yellowhead Highway. The Canadian National Railway tracks ...
,
Alberta Alberta is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Canada. It is a part of Western Canada and is one of the three Canadian Prairies, prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to its west, Saskatchewan to its east, t ...
, the home of Stawnichy's Meat Processing.


Hungary

Kolbász is the Hungarian word for sausage.
Hungarian cuisine Hungarian or Magyar cuisine (Hungarian language, Hungarian: ''Magyar konyha'') is the cuisine characteristic of the nation of Hungary, and its primary ethnic group, the Hungarians, Magyars. Hungarian cuisine has been described as being the P ...
produces a vast number of types of sausages. The most common smoked Hungarian sausages are Gyulai Kolbász, Csabai Kolbász, Csemege Kolbász, Házi Kolbász, Cserkész Kolbász, lightly smoked, like Debreceni Kolbász (or Debreciner) and Lecsókolbász, a spicy sausage made specifically for serving as part of the dish Lecsó, a vegetable stew with peppers and tomatoes. Hungarian boiled sausage types are called "hurka": either liver sausage, "májas", or blood sausage, "véres". The main ingredient is liver and rice, or meat and rice. Salt, pepper, and spices are optionally added. Butter is not.


Slovenia

The ''kranjska klobasa'' "
Carniolan sausage The Carniolan sausage (, , , , Italian dialect of Trieste: ''luganighe de Cragno'') is a Slovenian parboiled sausage similar to what is known as kielbasa or Polish sausage in North America. The noun ''klobasa'' refers to a small sausage gene ...
" closely resembling the Polish ''kiełbasa wiejska'' is the best known
Slovenia Slovenia, officially the Republic of Slovenia, is a country in Central Europe. It borders Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the south and southeast, and a short (46.6 km) coastline within the Adriati ...
n sausage.


Ukraine

In Ukraine, kielbasa is called "kovbasa". It is a general term that refers to a variety of sausages, including "domashnia" (homemade kovbasa), "pechinkova" (liver kovbasa), and "budzhena" (smoked kovbasa). It is served in a variety of ways, such as fried with onions atop varenyky, sliced on rye bread, or eaten with an egg. In Ukraine kovbasa may be roasted in an oven on both sides and stored in ceramic pots with
lard Lard is a Quasi-solid, semi-solid white fat product obtained by rendering (animal products), rendering the adipose tissue, fatty tissue of a domestic pig, pig.
. The sausage is often made at home; however, it has become increasingly common at markets and even supermarkets. Kovbasa also tends to accompany pysanky and krashanky (dyed and decorated eggs) as well as the Orthodox Easter bread, paska, in baskets which is blessed by the Ukrainian Orthodox priests with
holy water Holy water is water that has been blessed by a member of the clergy or a religious figure, or derived from a well or spring considered holy. The use for cleansing prior to a baptism and spiritual cleansing is common in several religions, from ...
before being consumed. The most generic forms of Ukrainian kovbasa include garlic. Those in the
Ukrainian SSR The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, abbreviated as the Ukrainian SSR, UkrSSR, and also known as Soviet Ukraine or just Ukraine, was one of the Republics of the Soviet Union, constituent republics of the Soviet Union from 1922 until 1991. ...
of the late Soviet Union who prioritised welfare and economic issues over the 'national question' (independence) were often referred to as having a 'kovbasa mentality'.


United States

In the United States, kielbasa, which may also be referred to as ''Polish sausage'' in some areas, is widely available in grocery stores and speciality import markets. While the smoked variety is more commonly found, the uncured variety is often available, particularly in areas with large Polish populations. Several sandwiches featuring the sausage as a main ingredient have become iconic in local cuisines including Chicago's
Maxwell Street Polish A Maxwell Street Polish consists of a grilled or fried length of kielbasa, Polish sausage topped with grilled onions and Mustard (condiment), yellow mustard and optional pickled whole, green List of Capsicum cultivars#Capsicum annuum, sport pepp ...
, Cleveland's
Polish Boy The Polish Boy is a sausage sandwich native to Cleveland, Ohio. It consists of a link of kielbasa sausage placed in a bun, and covered with a layer of french fries, a layer of barbecue sauce and a layer of coleslaw. While the sausage is typ ...
, and several offerings from Primanti Brothers in Pittsburgh.


Elsewhere

In Russia, it is known as ''kolbasa'' (колбаса ), mentioned as early as the 12th century in Birch bark manuscript number 842. In the Russian language the word ''kolbasa'' refers to all sausage-like meat products including salami and
bologna Bologna ( , , ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy. It is the List of cities in Italy, seventh most populous city in Italy, with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nationalities. Its M ...
. Similar sausages are found in other countries as well, notably the Czech Republic (spelled "klobása", or regionally "klobás"), Slovakia (spelled "klobása"), and Slovenia (spelled "klobása"). In Croatia, as well as in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Serbia, this sausage is called "kobasica" or "kobasa", while in Bulgaria and North Macedonia it is called "kolbas".) In
Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...
, it is called "Klobassa" (similar to the neighbouring Slavic-speaking countries). In South Africa, this type of sausage is known as the "Russian" sausage, and is often deep-fried and served with chips as fast food. In China, where once prominent
White émigré White Russian émigrés were Russians who emigrated from the territory of the former Russian Empire in the wake of the Russian Revolution (1917) and Russian Civil War (1917–1923), and who were in opposition to the revolutionary Bolshevik com ...
residents fleeing from the
Russian Civil War The Russian Civil War () was a multi-party civil war in the former Russian Empire sparked by the 1917 overthrowing of the Russian Provisional Government in the October Revolution, as many factions vied to determine Russia's political future. I ...
were concentrated, the food was gradually localized around major hubs. Even though Harbin Russian residents are scarce today, Kielbasa remains in production that inherited to local residents until today in Harbin.


See also

* Charcuterie *
Salumi (: , ) are Italian cuisine, Italian meat products typical of an antipasto, predominantly made from pork and Curing (food preservation), cured. They also include bresaola, which is made from beef, and some cooked products, such as mortadell ...
* Sucuk


Explanatory notes


References


External links

*
Czech klobásy recipe
{{Authority control Cuisine of Manitoba Cuisine of the Midwestern United States Culture of Cleveland Lithuanian cuisine Lunch meat Polish cuisine Polish products with protected designation of origin Polish sausages Polish-American culture in Chicago Sausages Slovak cuisine Smoked meat Ukrainian sausages