European Sausage Primer
Croatian/Slovenian and Hungarian Sausages, Part I
Chew on This
... a new occasional column in our Cooking Resources site!
I've never seen a sausage I wouldn't like to eat...meat...whatever. Either way, that's what my wife would have all and sundry believe. I gasp in (garlicky) horror at the thought, as I would consider mine to be a bit of a trained palate, if not quite that of a connoisseur. You see, otherwise my sporadic missives would simply be titled "Stuff Mario finds and eats". So there.
Acquiring The Good Stuff
Either way, getting back onto track, in today's piece I will centre on some of my favourite sausages and how/where I like to acquire them. (A connoisseur acquires - I'm building here). When I speak of sausages, the majority of them tend to be of the smoked variety, which can be eaten without the necessity of being broiled, grilled or fried. That just delays the main event unnecessarily. That being said, I must say that, at this point in my meaty adventures, the Europeans have this sausage making thing nailed down pretty well. Not wishing to select a favourite, I will start randomly with some of the smoked deliciousness emanating from my home country, Croatia. Somewhat creatively labeled as 'smoked sausage', there are two varietals generally available - garlic and paprika. Similar in consistency to most smoked sausages and not unlike a mini-salami, the smoky goodness of the paprika and the wonderfully flavourful garlic make it tough to choose a favourite here. I don't even try and always get both - for those of you who are watching that fat content, the garlic sausages do seem to be slightly more fatty. Initially I thought this would be an acquired taste, but I couldn't keep enough of them around at a recent party where they were a hit regardless of culture or background.
The Location Low Down
So - where to go to get your fix? Various Croatian and/or Slovenian deli's scattered throughout Toronto and Mississauga can deliver the goods, but my favourite is Willy's European Meat and Deli in Mississauga (located at Hwy 10 and King Street West). While there, feel free to poke around and try the various other snacks, cheeses and meats available.
The Hungarian Contribution
Keeping it in the region, the Hungarians are no slouches at stuffing the sausage casing themselves, and my fave there would have to be the Csabai. It is similar to the Croatian versions mentioned above, available in hot or mild and is also predominantly a pork product. It combines the essential garlic with the paprika and is my 'quick fix' when I can't get to my Croatian treats, though no less of a sausage in its own right. Purveyors of this fine product can be found in Toronto's St Lawrence market, but I prefer the homeliness, quality (and REAL smoke) on offer at the Blue Danube Sausage House in Etobicoke (located at 24 Chauncey Avenue). I mean, how could you go wrong with Hungarian sausage at a place named like that? The lads here also do great quality meats, desserts and other Hungarian specialties (pogacsa anybody?).
It appears that my meat missive will have to go into a part 2 as I am running out of real estate and have so much more to cover. Please return to this neighbourhood for my next sausage sermon, where I will let you in on my other favourites. And yes, there will be cheese and other stuff on the menu too. Eventually.
