Pepperoni

One of the most popular toppings on American-style pizza is a spicy Italian dry sausage calledpepperoni. It is sold in solid sticks at many ethnic meat shops and delicatessens, or pre-sliced in vacuum packs at most grocery stores. Pepperoni destined for pizza topping may be approximately 1 inch (2.54 cm) in diameter, while that destined for use in Italian submarine sandwiches is often twice that size. Some pizza shops use a larger size slice to reduce the chances of it burning while in an extremely hot pizza oven.

Italian immigrants brought with them a tradition for curing meats and packing them into natural casings for drying and preservation. These dried and fermented sausages could be stored at room temperature for months, which would prove very useful during extended winters with little to no access to fresh meat. The dry sausage known as pepperoni was not a native Italian recipe, although there are several native salamis and sausages that use similar ingredients.

The name is an Italian-American variant on the original Italian word for spicy peppers,peperoni. The primary meat used in pepperoni is pork, followed closely by beef. These two meats are ground together and allowed to dry under refrigeration for a day before processing. Additional spices are added to the meat, including black pepper, sugar, anise seed, salt,cayenne pepper and paprika. Many people may assume the red color and peppery bite ofpepperoni comes from the cayenne pepper, but it's actually the paprika that is primarily responsible for the color and heat of most sausages.

Once the spices and meat have been combined, the mixture is fed into a casing machine. A length of natural hog intestine casing or an edible collagen casing is placed on an extruder and the mixture is forced into the casing. At certain intervals, the filled casing is twisted and tied off with twine. The finished chain is then hung up to dry for at least 6 to 8 weeks until thepepperoni is fully cured. The individual links are then separated and sold to customers or sliced on a commercial slicing machine and packed for use in restaurants.

Pepperoni slices can be used to create a quick snack known as pepperoni crisps. They can also be added to sandwiches as a spicy cold cut, especially in combination with other Italian cured meats such as Genoa ham, salami and capicola. Pepperoni also meshes well with mozzarellaand provolone cheeses, which is one reason it is such a popular topping on pizza. A combination of this sausage with Italian pork sausage and sliced mushrooms is considered a classic among avid pizza fans.

Source: WiseGEEK

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Braunschweiger

Braunschweiger is a type of smoked sausage traditionally made from the liver of pigs that is also known as liverwurst. It is soft and spreadable, with a distinctive liver flavor. It is often used as a sandwich filling or a spread for crackers, much like a pâté. Its name comes from Braunschweig, the German city from which it originated.

When making braunschweiger, the liver is combined with pork fat and traditional spices such as cloves, black pepper and allspice. The mixture is ground and stuffed into casings made from the thin membranes of cows or pigs, boiled and then put in a smoker. If casings or a smoker aren't used, the braunschweiger can also be baked in a loaf pan and served in slices. Although pork products are the traditional ingredients, braunschweiger can also be made with a combination of chicken or cow liver as well.

In order for the sausage to hold together, it is considered important to use plenty of fat, which should make up half of the braunschweiger's ingredients. Pork liver is considered very fatty, but some cooks add bacon fat or lard to the mix as well. It is then thought best to refrigerate the mixture for a few hours before grinding, so the fat solidifies and mixes with the meat and spices. The mixture is traditionally soft, but home cooks can use a food processor rather than a traditional meat grinder to produce a coarser texture if desired.

Source: WiseGEEK

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Liverwurst

Sometimes referred to as leberwurst, liverwurst is a spicy cooked sausage that is made with a mixture of ground liver and pork, seasoned with a select range of spices and plenty of onions. The high content of liver in the finished product has earned it the name of "liver sausage" in some parts of the world.

After the ingredients are combined and cooked in some manner, liverwurst can be used in both cold and hot recipes. One very popular option for use of it is in a dish that is known asBraunschweiger. This recipe calls for slicing or chopping the sausage into sections or pinwheels and adding some other smoked meat into the pan, such as slabs of bacon. The two meat products are sauteed until both are browned and the flavors are thoroughly intermingled.Braunschweiger can be eaten as an entree, or the mixture can be served over pasta or a selection of cooked vegetables.

Another common favorite use of this sausage is in the preparation of a tasty spread that can be enjoyed on a variety of different types of bread or crackers. It's usually served either slightly chilled or at room temperature. The spread is a favorite as home buffets and as a simple snack when friends drop by.

Perhaps the most common use of liverwurst is in the preparation of a sandwich. Often, thick slices are paired with tasty breads, such as pumpernickel. The fillers on the sandwich will vary from location to location, but it is not unusual for sauerkraut and several kinds of cheeses to be included. Spicy mustards often add another layer of flavor to the sandwich, which is often completed by toasting the bread and allowing the cheese to melt slightly.

As a prepared meat, liverwurst tends to keep well in a refrigerator. It's an easy option in cooked meals or as a quick snack, or the basis for a great tasting sandwich.

Source: WiseGEEK

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Andouille sausage

Andouille sausage is a spicy pork product that has its origins in French cuisine, but also has a revered place in Cajun cooking, a culinary style popular in the southern U.S. state of Louisiana. It is typically made from pig intestine stuffed with coarse pork meat and hot chili peppers, though other spices can be added in at the maker’s discretion. The most traditional links are homemade, but the sausage’s worldwide popularity has led to a number of different commercialized versions as well. Different manufacturers tend to have different styles and ingredient lists, which often means that there is some variety when it comes to what, exactly, a link labeled “andouille” contains — though spice and smoky flavor are all but guaranteed.

Modern Production and Additions

Although there are variations, the andouille sausage that is available in most markets today usually contains "mainstream" pieces of pork — meat from the thighs and shoulder, for instance — rather than the internal organs, as was traditional. The sausage may also be made in synthetic casings rather than in the animal’s intestine, which often eliminates the need for a freshly slaughtered pig. It is also common to find products with artificial smoke flavor added in, which gives a more traditional taste without having to invest the time in slow-smoking over a fire. 

Source: WiseGEEK

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Salami

Salami is a type of sausage — ground meat stuffed into a casing — which is not “cooked” but is instead allowed to ferment and cure before being dried and made edible. There are a number of different types of salami, usually named for the region they come from, and they are produced in many different countries, such as Italy, Germany, France, and the United States (US). Different meats are often used to produce them, though beef, veal, venison, and pork are all fairly common. Salami is usually fairly hard, making it easier to slice thinly and ideal for use in sandwiches or enjoyed by itself.

The word “salami” is an Italian word, the plural form of salame, which is simply a term for any type of salted meat. With the rising popularity of salami, however, the term became connected primarily to one particular type of salted meat that was stuffed into an animal casing and then allowed to cure. In English, the word “salami” is used for both singular and plural references to this one type of sausage.

Often found in delis as well as produced by commercial manufacturers for sale as pre-packaged slices, salami has become a very popular type of meat throughout much of the world, including the US. It is typically made by first grinding meat and mixing the ground meat up with a number of spices and flavorings. While salt, pepper, and garlic are all quite common, wine can be added and in some regions paprika is also a popular ingredient. The meat is then allowed to ferment before being stuffed into a casing, usually either a natural animal casing or a synthetic casing, and then hung up to cure. Some types are also smoked before or after curing, usually called cotto salame, which adds flavor to the meat but does not cook it.

The curing process activates bacteria in the meat which makes the ground meat an inhospitable environment for dangerous bacteria that can cause meat to spoil. Helpful types of bacteria were previously introduced in the wine that was added, though now bacterial starters are commonly used. After curing, the meat is dried out to make the casing firm and not allow moisture to pass through, which could spoil the meat after curing. If the process is done properly, it produces salami that is safe to eat, without refrigeration, for several years. This longevity is one of the major reasons these sausages were so popular prior to the development of reliable and affordable means of refrigeration.

Source: WiseGEEK

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Summer sausage

Summer sausage is a seasoned sausage that is thoroughly cured and does not require refrigeration. There are many varieties of this sausage, including cervelat-style sausages such as blockwurst, thuringer and mortadella. People in many countries, especially those in Eastern Europe, have their own varieties of these sausages, dating to periods when meat needed to be well preserved because refrigeration was not an option. This food product is often available at butchers and in boutique shops that import special regional foods.

Despite its name, summer sausage is not necessarily made in the summer, although it can be. It is made with meat scraps, like all sausage, so it tends to be made when animals are butchered, which is often in the fall or spring. The sausage might also be made with a combination of meats for efficiency and flavor variety. Cuts are often kept lean to ensure that the sausage does not become rancid during the curing process

Source: WiseGEEK

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Bratwurst

Bratwurst is a type of sausage closely associated with the nation of Germany, where it originated. In addition to being served throughout Germany in numerous regional variations, it is also popular in areas of the world with large German populations. The sausage tends to be heavily spiced, and is traditionally served with mustard and a hard roll, although it is served differently in some places. Many grocery stores and butchers carry bratwurst, and it is also possible to order German sausage through a specialty supplier.

In German, brat means “finely chopped meat,” while wurst means “sausage.” Pork is the traditional meat in this sausage, although beef and veal may be used as well. Often, it is made with a mixture of meats. Bratwurst is heavily spiced with things like marjoram, cardamom, nutmeg, celery seeds, pepper, ginger, and other regional ingredients. The spicy sausage mixture is forced into casings and is typically grilled or fried before serving.

Like many European sausages, bratwurst is not usually cured, which means that it needs to be cooked before it is served. In some cases, it may be pre-cooked and canned, so that cooks can simply lightly heat it before serving. This type tends to have an inferior flavor, and it should be avoided if fresh bratwurst is available. When consumers purchase fresh sausage, they make sure to check the expiration date to ensure that the meat is good.

In Germany, bratwurst is served with spicy mustard and a hard roll, along with a side ofsauerkraut. Many German beers complement the heavy, spicy sausage very well, andbratwurst and a beer is a common German lunch as a result. Outside of Germany, the sausage may be served with an assortment of other sides on breads ranging from soft white rolls to whole wheat buns. Toppings like cheese, relish, and onions may be added outside of Germany as well.

Different parts of Germany all have unique recipes for bratwurst, making it difficult to generalize about an appearance common to all of the sausages. They can range in size from small to jumbo, and can be white to dark brown, commonly with dark flecks of spice. Like all fresh meats, bratwurst should be kept refrigerated until use, and it should be thoroughly cooked, since the fine chopping process can introduce bacteria. Before cooking it, cooks should make sure to puncture it with a fork so that it does not explode in the pan from pressure.

Source: WiseGEEK

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Italian Sausage

Italy is known for many different types of sausages, but in the US, we tend to refer to one type of sausage only as Italian sausage. This is a pork sausage that can be mild to hot in flavor, and gets its distinctive taste from the addition of fennel seeds. Usually if the Italian sausage is labeled as spicy or hot, it also has red pepper flakes to provide extra heat.

The ingredients for Italian sausage are fairly simple: finely chopped pork meat, some pork fat, salt and pepper, usually nitrates, and fennel. Sausages of this type are about three to four inches (7.62-10.16 cm) long, and approximately half an inch to an inch (1.27-2.08) in diameter. The ingredients are packed into casings, so they stay together as the sausage cooks.

Italian sausage is popular served alone in sandwiches, perhaps accompanied by grilled bell peppers and onions. There are numerous uses for this sausage in a variety of dishes. For instance you can cook the sausage lightly and add it to marinara sauce, for a terrific and spicy meat sauce, or you can eat it as a breakfast sausage with traditional eggs and hash browns—figure about one to two sausages per person for breakfast.

Though many people enjoy the spicy sausage, laden with red pepper flakes, some prefer the relatively milder versions. Actually, the mild version is quite sweet and mellow, better known for its distinctive anise flavoring. You may want to chose mild Italian sausages if you plan to serve them to a large gathering of people, as some people don’t care for the extra heat of the spicy version, and it may be hard to tell the two types apart when they’re cooked.

Cooking the Italian sausage is vitally important. Most versions are sold completely raw and must be fully cooked prior to serving. If you’re concerned about making sure the interior of these sausages are completely cooked, you can boil them for about ten minutes prior to grilling or frying them. If you plan to use Italian sausages in sliced form, you should definitely pre-cook them. Once you start cutting into the casing of a raw sausage, the interior tends to fall apart if pre-cooking does not solidify it.

Since these sausages do contain additional pork fat, they are not exactly low cholesterolofferings. They tend to be high in fat, and are not the perfect diet dish. On the other hand, they impart so much flavor, that you can generally get away with only adding a couple sliced ones to a sauce meant to serve a large number of people. Some Italian cooks add both sausage and ground meat to Italian red meat sauces. If you use lean meats like ground chicken or turkey, and add two to three sausages, you’ll lower the overall fat content of your red sauce without skipping the delicious flavor of Italian sausage.

Source: WiseGEEK

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Bangers (British Sausages)

Bangers are a type of sausage common to the UK. They are often an essential part of pub food, as they are quick to prepare, but they're also often made at home. The name comes from the sausage’s tendency toward bursting or “banging” open during high frying temperatures. In fact, to avoid losing some of the sausage, they can be boiled first, and sliced lengthwise prior to frying or grilling.

These sausages are white or pink and are made primarily of pork butt, a small amount of breadcrumbs, and water. They are normally pleasantly spiced with both sweet and savoryspices. The average banger will have both salt and pepper, as well as sage, ginger and mace orallspice. Spices differ depending upon the brand.

The ingredients are well mixed, and then stuffed into casings, as is usual with most sausages. Casings are usually made from pork or sheep intestines, and look like long translucent ropes.

Some bangers are pre-cooked, which makes them easy to cook and helps ensure that the interior of the sausage will be cooked through. Sausages that are not pre-cooked often should be boiled before they are fried so the interior meat, which is not cooked, has a chance to come to a high temperature before they are finished in a hot pan. This way, they're well cooked and have a crisp skin.

In the UK, bangers may be served with breakfast, and they make part of one of the most traditional of English dishes, bangers and mash. This is actually a quite simple dish, usually made up of two sausages served over mashed potatoes. They may also be served in sandwiches with grilled onions.




Source: WiseGEEK

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Europeans

In middle ages sausage making was highly developed in Europe.
In Europe there were guilds that were specialise in producing high quality sausages.

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Native Americans

The native americans made a kind of sausage named Pemmican. 

Pemmican is a dried meat cake with fat and dried berries. 

The native americans eated the pemmican in the winter months.

The sausages of the native americans were stuffed into casing to make it easy to process,

storage and transport.

 

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Greeks and Romans

In the time of the greeks and the romans sausages were very popular.
For instance the greeks produced salami in the city of Salames at the island of Crete.

The name sausage comes from the latin word salsus (salted)

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Prehistoric

The first sausages or preservation of meat can be traced back to the prehistoric. 
Ancient people becan te salt their meat so that they could preserve it and eat it later. 


Pre-historic societies used to these preocesses to preserve meat that could not be eaten near the time of the hunt when they could hunt for fresh meat.

Preservation of the meat was achieved by:

- Drying

- Salting

- Pickling

Written historic record of sausage dates to 1000 B.C.

- Sausage are also mentioned by Homer in the Odyssey

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Vienna

Vienna sausages are a type of sausage traditionally made in the Austrian city of Vienna. They are closely related to Frankfurters, sausages produced in Frankfurt, Germany, and food historians believe that the original Vienna sausage was probably produced by a butcher who had traveled to Frankfurt. Modern Vienna sausages are typically found in canned form in many parts of the world, and they vie with Frankfurters for the claim of being the original hot dog. Some producers also make miniature Vienna sausages which are used on appetizer platters

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Frankfurter

Frankfurter, also called wiener, or (in the United States) hot dog,  highly seasoned sausage, traditionally of mixed pork and beef. Frankfurters are named for Frankfurt am Main, Ger., the city of their origin, where they were sold and eaten at beer gardens.

Frankfurters are sold ready-cooked and lightly smoked, either loose, vacuum-packed, or canned, to be heated by grilling, steaming, or gentle, brief boiling (frying makes them tough). The German and Austrian frankfurter also is known as a würstchen, or “little sausage,” and many varieties of these sausages exist. In Germany and Austria, frankfurters are eaten warm with sauerkraut and cold, if lightly smoked, with potato salad. Nutritionally, the typical American frankfurter is about 55 percent water, 28–30 percent fat, and 12–15 percent protein. All-beef or turkey frankfurters are also produced, as are versions with reduced fat content. Most commercially marketed frankfurters contain nitrates or nitrites of sodium or potassium, which prevent the growth of the botulism-causing bacterium, Clostridium botulinum, and preserve the meat’s characteristic reddish colour, which would otherwise be lost in processing.

source: britannica

History of the Frankfurter

There are two stories behind the Frankfurter Würstchen.

The Germans claim to have first created the Frankfurter Würstchen in 1562. For the feast at the coronation of Maximilians II, an ox was stuffed with sausages for additional flavoring. This sausage was called "Bratwerscht," and its popularity spread to other countries. It was actually outside of Germany where the name "Frankfurter" came from. In 1749, the first recipe for the Frankfurter Bratwurst was set in print.

The second story gives credit to the Austrians. In 1805, the Austrian butcher Johann Georg Lahner, who learned to be a butcher in Frankfurt, created a sausage out of pork and beef. He called this sausage "Frankfurter."

Source: germanfoodguide

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Sausage History

The word sausage comes from the Middle Englishsausige, which came from sal, Latin for salt. In France they are sausissons and in Germany, wurst. In practice for over a millenia sausage-making was originally a method used to preserve meats, especially lesser cuts. 

Today, sausage-making has become an art. More than 200 different varieties of sausage are made in the United States alone, and thousands more worldwide, varying by regional tastes and ingredient availability. Hot dogs are popular in the United States, sausage is the ultimate Finnish fast food, and seafood sausages are popular in Asia. 


Source: Homecooking

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