15 Different Types Of Sausages With Images
If you love sausage, then you’ll definitely love this post. You might be already aware of the different sausage varieties that your grocery store offers. You could have tried several techniques for cooking sausage. You may even have a preferred type of sausage and a preferred method for cooking it.
Admit it, your summer barbecue party is incomplete without these delectable types of sausage. They are good for both children and grown ups, are juicy, and cook up easily. A sausage link with grill marks all over it is the definition of perfection.
In this article, we’ll discuss the different types of sausages, their back story, and current use.
If you are interested with these sausage varieties, scroll down and continue reading.
Types Of Sausages
Sausage
Sausages are a particular type meat product that are often manufactured with ground meat, typically pork, beef, or chicken, combined with salt, spices, and other flavorings. As extenders or fillers, additional components like grains or breadcrumbs may be used.
A sausage is often created in a casing that is typically made from intestine, though occasionally synthetic materials are used. Raw sausages can be cooked in a variety of methods, such as pan-frying, broiling, and grilling. The casing of some sausages may be removed after they have been cooked during processing.
Making sausages is a traditional method of food preservation. Sausages can be kept fresh via smoking, freezing, drying (typically in conjunction with fermentation or culturing, which can also help), or curing. Certain smoked or cured sausages can be kept out of the refrigerator. Most fresh sausages need to be chilled or frozen before cooking.
The types of meats used, the flavoring or spicing components like garlic, peppers, wine, etc., and the method of preparation vary throughout a vast range of national and regional varieties of sausages. The availability and consumption of vegetarian and vegan sausages that totally replace meat with plant-based ingredients has also increased significantly in the twenty-first century.
Check out the different sausage types below.
1. Bratwurst Pork Sausage
A type of German sausage known as a bratwurst is produced from pork, or rarely, beef or veal. Bratwurst is a sort of German sausage prepared from pork, or less frequently, beef or veal. The word “bratwurst” comes from the Old High German word “brät”, which means “finely chopped meat”, and “wurst,” which means “sausage”. In contemporary German, however, the word is frequently linked to the verb “braten,” which indicates pan fried or roasted. In most cases, a mixture will include pork as well as beef and veal.
Regional variations in Bratwurst recipes are significant. There are many different ways to prepare it because it is one of the most common sausages and popular foods in Germany. You can s imply choose the one that best suits your preferences.
While there are many possible accompaniments for bratwurst, it may be preferable to serve it the German way with sauerkraut, potato salad, horseradish, and a dash of German mustard. These are just a few examples. They also drink a bottle of Schwarzbier or Dunkel to round out the meal’s flavor perfectly. You also have the option to serve it with other dishes if you like.
Additionally, it can be grilled, steamed, broiled, or cooked in any other way you prefer, and it can be consumed on its own or as an ingredient in different sausage dishes.
2. Italian Sausage
Italian sausage is most usually used to identify a particular variety of pork sausage. The primary flavoring for the sausage is widely known as being fennel. However, Italy produces a wide variety of sausages, many of which are extremely distinct from the abovementioned item.
The three variations that are most usually offered in supermarkets as “Italian sausage” are the hot, sweet, and mild ones. The main difference between hot and moderate is that the former’s spice combination includes hot red pepper flakes. The latter makes the distinction between sweet and mild thanks to the addition of sweet basil.
One of the more well-known types of sausage is the Italian sausage, but it has distinct roots in Italy than the traditional sausage you may be familiar with and enjoy. In Italy, this dish is known as Salsiccia and is prepared of pork meat that has been strongly seasoned with chili and other fiery seasonings. The meats are then left to soak and vary in flavor over night. Compared to what is generally accessible in US stores, they are more common in Europe.
Pork sausage with a base flavor of fennel and anise is quite a popular Italian sausage that Americans are accustomed with and enjoy. To accommodate a wide range of preferences and recipes, some popular brands produce its Italian version in three different flavor profiles: sweet, mild, and hot. To give the mixture a sweeter flavor, it is placed in casings and supplied with a special combination of sweet basil. In order to cook the sausage and keep them moist and tasty when they are used in your meal, there is a required degree of fat.
American Italian sausages are typically grilled, roasted, or utilized as the highlight of a meal that includes other sausages, so they have a sweet, spicy, or other flavor profile.
3. Andouille Smoked Sausage
French andouille is a smoked pork sausage that was first produced in France.
The French sausage is very well-liked and comes in a variety of forms, all of which, despite having identical origins, can have very distinct flavors. The origins of the sausage are in Andouillette. The original version of this sausage was and still is quite aromatic, distinctive flavor, and coarse-grained. Although veal can also occasionally be used, pork intestines or chitterlings are the most typical ingredients. Traditional Andouillette is still consumed in France today, though it’s rarely seen outside of its boundaries. Because of its potent and unique aroma, andouillette may appear a little overwhelming to those who are unfamiliar with it. However, for those who have grown up with it, both the scent and the flavor are appealing aspects of this French treat.
The flavor of southern andouille is very distinct from that of standard andouillette. Usually made with ground pork, onions, and a variety of spices, it is smoked and intensely spicy. It is highly valued in Cajun cuisine for its powerful smoky flavor.
Nowadays, these smoked sausages are key component in Cajun meals like gumbo and jambalaya. They may also be used as a breakfast sausage, and when paired with other breakfast fare like grits and eggs, they tastes exceptionally good. Additionally, these sausages are simple to add in Mexican cuisine, spicy pies, and pasta dishes.
4. Morcilla Spanish Blood Sausage
A blood sausage is a type of sausage that contains blood and has been cooked, dried, and mixed with a filler to the point where it is sufficiently thick to set when cooled. Pig blood is most often used.
Meat, lard, suet, bread, cornmeal, onion, chestnuts, barley, oats, and buckwheat are common fillers in Europe and the Americas. Fillers are frequently created using rice throughout Asia, Latin America, and the Iberian Peninsula. Regional specialties also include sweet variations made with sugar, honey, orange peel, and spices.
One such delicacy that is common in Spain is morcilla. It comes in a wide variety of forms and blood content.
The sausage’s secondary flavors vary depending on the variety, and it has a deep flavor and a dark purple color.
They will blend ground pork with pig’s blood and add their preferred spices and seasonings after that, to create this sausage. If you want to try this type of sausage, you should look for morcilla without fillers because they are of the greatest quality. Fillers like grains and onions are added to make the food heavier.
In the dishes of other countries for these types of sausage, there are variations such as pine nuts, types of almonds, types of pecans, and sweeteners.
5. Spanish Chorizo
Chorizo often cooked from pig intestines and is a popular dish in Spain, Portugal, and most other parts of western Europe.
Spanish chorizo developed as a result of the Spanish exploration of the Americas. While curing meat was a widespread procedure in Spain, and pork, the chorizo’s main ingredient, was widely used there, one item was lacking. It was paprika, a key component of Spanish chorizo. Paprika is a blend of chili peppers unique to the Americas. Spanish chorizo was made when the peppers were combined with cured pork when people started bringing them back over the Atlantic.
Spanish chorizo is still widely consumed today and comes in a broad range of regional flavors and styles. Although there are beef and pork varieties, pork is still the preferred ingredient in most of it . Garlic, herbs, and white wine are typically added in addition to parika.
The process involves placing in casings, allowed to ferment, and then smoked. In addition to helping to preserve the meat, smoking also gives food a great smokey flavor. Before the sausage is ready to consume, a last process of air curing is done on it.
6. Sobrassada Raw Sausage
Sobrasada, also known as sobrassada in Balearic or sobrasada in Spanish, is a raw, cured sausage from the Balearic Islands in Spain composed of ground pork, paprika, salt, and other spices. Sobrassada and botifarró are traditional Balearic meat preparations made during the rigorous but joyous rituals that still commemorate the pig slaughter known as a matança in Minorca, Majorca, and Ibiza in the fall and winter. The dehydration of meat under specific climate circumstances, such as high humidity and mild cold, which are typical of the late Balearic autumn, is the chemical principle that produces sobrassada.
Pork loin or pork bacon, known locally as xuia, is diced and combined with paprika, salt, and black pepper at the ends to make sobrassada. Some manufacturers sell the mixture as hot and spicy by using cayenne pepper. The concoction is then placed inside of a pork intestine and hanged from a pole for a few weeks to cure. The string that is tied around the intestine can be utilized to tell the hot from the non spicy types; the hot string is red or red and white.
7. Liver Sausage/Liverwurst
A type of sausage created from liver is Liver sausage. It is also known as liverwust or leberwurst. The taste of liver sausage is superb. Its flavor is enhanced by a variety of herbs and spices, such as cardamom, black pepper, thyme, etc., and is sweet and aromatic. Because of its smooth and spreadable texture, the delicious meal pairs incredibly well with morning toast.
Usually eaten as is, liverwurst is frequently prepared as traditional or open-faced sandwiches. It is widely eaten in North America on rye or whole grain bread with red onion and mustard. Slices of sweet pickles are typically served with liverwurst in the Southern and Midwestern US, gherkins pickled with sugar, vinegar, and mustard seeds. Liverwurst is served with dill pickles in the Northeastern US, gherkins pickled with salt, vinegar, and dill.
Smoking is not necessary. Eastern European and Scandinavian nations frequently eat this specific variety of sausage. The usual ingredients for seasoning and cooking liverwurst are marjoram, several kinds of mustard seeds, and nutmeg.
8. Butifarra Pork Sausage
One of the most significant dishes in Catalan cuisine is butifarra, a type of sausage.
Butifarra is a modern dish with variations in Portugal, Brazil, and Italy that is derived from ancient recipes, such as the Roman sausage botulu or lucanica, both of which are made of raw pork and spices.
There are a lot of varieties of butifarra, a few of them are raw butifarra, butifarra catalana, black butifarra (which includes boiled pork and blood), white butifarra, butifarra de huevo.
9. Mexican Chorizo
Mexican chorizo is produced using fatty pork as well as beef, venison, tofu, chicken, turkey, kosher meats, and vegan options. Instead of being chopped, the meat is typically ground or minced, and other seasonings are added. This type of sausage is less common in Europe and is more known in Mexico and other parts of the Americas, particularly the US border regions. Mexican chorizo is typically cooked with native chili peppers of the same Capsicum annuum species, making it hotter than Spanish and Portuguese variations of the sausage.
Basically, fresh, raw meat is used to make modern Mexican chorizo. Cooks typically add more pork fat, a robust mixture of herbs and spices, chile peppers, and vinegar to the mixture. The mixture is then placed in casings and dried for up to a week in the air.
Mexican chorizo, which is created from raw meat and is neither smoked nor cured like Spanish chorizo, must be cooked before consuming. Normally, to prepare it, you would take it out of its packaging and fried it in a skillet while breaking it up into smaller pieces with a fork. Rarely is this sausage consumed alone once it has been prepared. Instead, they use it as a part to recipes like refried beans, scrambled eggs, etc.. It’s a fantastic method to add a dash of spice to any recipe due to its potent and spicy flavor.
10. Chicken Sausage
Chicken, specifically dark meat, is used to make chicken sausage, though fresh versions also use chicken breast.
Given the long and rich history of pork sausages, chicken sausage varieties are a comparatively recent concept. They can be used in a variety of cuisines and are flavorful and considerably more tender than other sausage varieties. You may satisfy your hunger for a tasty sausage and be healthy by eating chicken sausage.
11. Longaniza Cooked Sausage
This type of sausage is a completely cooked sausage with Spanish origins. Both the cooking method and the flavor are comparable to that of chorizo.
The components for the two varieties are different, though. In Spain, nutmeg is used to improve the flavor and paprika is used in place of black pepper. But they utilize cured and dried sausages in the Argentine Longaniza. Without a doubt, longaniza is among the best sausages of its kind. Anise seeds, cinnamon, paprika, and other options are among the available seasonings.
This delicacy is very well-liked not only in Spain but also in South American nations. This dish, known as longanissa, is well-known throughout the Philippines. While the cooking methods vary from different places, the taste remains constant.
Nowadays, cooking longaniza, either on its own or as a component of a dish, is a rare. As an alternative, it’s a preferred appetizer and is widely utilized as sandwich meat.
12. Fresh Country Sausage
This type of sausage has its roots in America, particularly in the rural areas where farmers can get the most value out of a butchered pig. People usually add mild seasonings like sage and black pepper, as well as occasionally heavier options like maple syrup or cayenne pepper, to enhance the taste of their dish.
The ideal side dishes for this sausage are a sunny side up and baked beans.
13. Kielbasa Smoked Sausage
Kielbasa is the term given to sausages by the Polish. It is one of the most well-liked basic foods in Polish cuisine and is regarded as a delicacy there.
The term kielbasa describes a sausage with a cylindrical shape that is cooked in smoke. Lamb, beef, hog, chicken, turkey, and veal are all acceptable ingredients for this smoky kielbasa.
14. Vienna Sausage
A thin parboiled sausage usually prepared from pork and beef in a casing of sheep’s intestine is known as a Vienna sausage. This sausage is then smoked at a low temperature. Vienna sausage, also known as frankfurter or Wiener Würstchen in Austria, has the taste richness to liven up any gathering.
15. Kiolbassa
American sausage manufacturing, packaging, and distribution business Kiolbassa is situated in San Antonio, Texas. Since its founding in 1949, Kiolbassa has been run by a family.
Kiolbassa is a fantastic beef sausage that is far more luscious and juicy than most other pork/chicken sausages. Sausage lovers in America eat this frequently since it is seasoned with sea salt and turbinado sugar.