 Sausage meal from aWisconsin Hmong restaurant | |
| Alternative names | nyhuv ntxwm hmoob (Hmong) |
|---|---|
| Type | sausage |
| Region or state | Hmong diaspora,Southeast Asia |
| Associatedcuisine | Hmong cuisine |
| Serving temperature | hot |
| Main ingredients | |
| Ingredients generally used |
|
| Variations | spicy, ginger, made with blood,egg roll-style[1] |
| Similar dishes | Lao sausage |
Hmong sausage (Hmong:nyhuv ntxwm hmoob[2]) is a long thickpork sausage fromHmong culture seasoned withherbs likelemongrass andThai chili pepper. The sausage is popular during HmongNew Year celebrations. The exact recipe varies depending on factors such asclan and individual immigration background.
Hmong being adiaspora incorporate a wide variety of ingredients, methods, and cultural backgrounds inHmong cuisine such as Hmong sausage. There is no standard recipe for Hmong sausage, but the key ingredients are coarse ground fatty pork cuts such aspork belly andpork shoulder,Thai chili peppers,lemongrass,Kaffir lime leaf orlime juice, and freshginger root orgalangal.[2][3][4][5] Other common ingredients are salt, black pepper, garlic,scallions,shallots,fish sauce,oyster sauce,cilantro,green onion,Serrano pepper, andmonosodium glutamate (MSG).[6][2][7][3] Fresh aromatic herbs are prioritized for flavor and are visible under the sausage casing.[8][6] One commercial producer sells a number of popular variations: original (no chilies), spicy (with chilies), ginger, made withpork blood, and "egg roll-style" made withvermicelli noodles and other egg roll fillings.[1]
The sausage is usually sold and served fresh, although some variations are lightly fermented or cured. Commercial outlets ship the sausage frozen.[9][10]
Hmong sausage is typically grilled at a low heat and served as large slices with steamed white rice orpurple sticky rice, another signature Hmong dish,pan fried withblanched cabbage, or withpho soup.[3][2][10][11] Sour and spicy sauces are served on the side, especially a Hmong sauce made with Thai chilies called "pepper dip". Reflecting the diverse backgrounds of Hmong people, some restaurants offer "Thai-style" or "Lao-style" preparations.[12] The sausage is widely available in Hmong communities at restaurants, butchers, and delis.[6][2][4] One Hmong American grocery store processed and sold about 700 pounds of Hmong sausage daily.[13]
ManyHmong Americans express that making and eating traditional Hmong foods such as sausage connects them to their identity and family history.[3] About Hmong sausage in relation to the difficult background of Hmong immigrants, Minnesota Hmong American chefYia Vang said: "This sausage is redemption... I’m proud of it... I’m not ashamed anymore. This shit is legacy."[10]
Hmong sausage is commonly processed and served during special occasions like Hmong New Year celebrations. Hmong American families tend to make the sausage in large batches with common American processing equipment such as sausage stuffing machines and syntheticsausage casing, although historically and in other Hmong diasporas across the world the sausage is produced by hand, frequently in small batches.[2] Chef Yia Vang remembered his father teaching him to coarsely chop pork by hand and stuff it into intestine casing with a modifiedCoca-Cola bottle.[10] Similarly, Wisconsin Hmong American chefDiane Moua recalled: "I remember vividly my grandma making Hmong sausage. I called my mom, because I wasn't sure, but I remember as a kid she chopped it up and put it in this casing..."[14]
Hmong Americans tend to make the sausage a foot or more long and very thick, then eat it fresh or freeze it to preserve it. Some families prefer shorter sausages. Others prefer to lightly ferment or smoke the sausage for flavor and preservation.[9][10]
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Hmong families pass down "secret" sausage recipes and don't disclose the exact ingredients or methods they use. InCooking from the Heart: The Hmong Kitchen in America (2023), an authoritative Hmong American cookbook, the authors say: "Good cooks guard their sausage recipes, and everyone makes sausage a little differently."[2] La Vang-Herr, proprietor of @La's, a Hmong food cart inAloha, Oregon, declined to share their recipe and revealed only that the main ingredients of their sausage are "juicy ground pork and aromatics like ginger and lemongrass".[4]
Hmong sausage has been commercially produced in the United States.[15][1]Union Hmong Kitchen debuted at theMinnesota State Fair in 2022 with dishes such as purple sticky rice and Hmong sausage made with crunchy Thai chili oil, and began serving the sausage atTarget Field in 2023.[16][17] Kramarczuk's, aJames Beard Award-winning Ukrainian deli in Minneapolis, makes and sells Union Hmong Kitchen branded Hmong sausage.[18] Discussing Yia Vang's restaurants,Minnesota Monthly listed Hmong sausage as one of Minnesota's most iconic foods.[17]
| Overview |  | ||||
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| Fresh sausage | |||||
| Dry sausage |
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| Smoked sausage | |||||
| Cooked sausage | |||||
| Cooked smoked sausage | |||||
| Precooked sausage | |||||
| Grilled sausage | |||||
| Related articles | |||||
