 Polish kabanos | |
| Alternative names | Cabanossi, kabana, cabano |
|---|---|
| Type | Sausage |
| Course | Appetizer, main |
| Place of origin | Poland[1][2][3] |
| Serving temperature | Hot, cold |
| Main ingredients | Pork |
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Kabanos (/kəˈbænəs/;Polish:[kaˈbanɔs]ⓘ, plural:kabanosy), also known ascabanossi orkabana, is a long, thin,dry sausage usually made ofpork which originated inPoland. They are smoky in flavor, and can be soft or very dry in texture depending on freshness. Typically, they are quite long, 60 cm (24 in), but very thin, with a diameter around 1 cm (1⁄2 in), and folded in two, giving them a characteristic appearance. Versions made ofchicken andturkey are staples inkosher meat markets anddelicatessens.
The name comes from the wordkaban, an old obsolete term used in eastern parts of Poland for a young malepig fattened with potatoes specially for making this kind of sausage (hencekabanos, 'made ofkaban'). The wordkaban with a similar meaning is also present in other neighbouring languages; it was initially loaned fromTurkic languages where it denotes aboar[4] (compareTatar:kaban,Azerbaijani:qaban,Kazakh:қабан, cognate withTurkish:yaban).
Kabanosy are known to have been produced since medieval times at least, and because of their long-lasting capabilities they were considered perfect food for soldiers and travellers, which is reflected bykabanos' design traits: thinness, usually very extended length, and shape in which they are always kept. According to some historians, they were hung around the neck like a necklace, allowing horsemen to eat on the go without stopping for a food break. For the same reason, they were also used as hiking food and are very common amongGorals. Tighter, smaller wraps of longkabanosy — as sold nowadays — were also common among foot soldiers (and travellers). Smallerkabanos wrapping allowed it to be "worn" on a wrist and eaten while marching.
Nowadays,kabanosy are made using different spices, and come in many different flavours. Before the 20th century, various spices were also being used in the production ofkabanosy, giving them locally distinct tastes, which differed between various regions of Poland.
Production ofkabanosy requires a minimum of 150 grams (5.3 oz) of best grade pork meat to make 100 grams (3.5 oz) of sausage, which is known today as the "minimum of 3:2 ratio". This is required because of the loss of some of the water contained within the meat used to prepare the raw sausage, which evaporates during the long process of meat smoking.[5] Nowadays almost every Polish manufacturer ofkabanosy describes on the packaging at which ratio their sausage was made; for example, the manufacturer Kania states that "157 grams of meat was used to make 100 grams ofkabanosy".[6]
The two main types ofkabanosy include a slightly "softer" and more common type (smoked much less, just for the taste), and a "harder" type (much drier than the softer ones), which are smoked for a very long time, basically until bending the sausage becomes difficult (to the point that it cracks when someone attempts to bend it). Because of the long and thorough smoking process, the "harder"kabanos type is extremely long-lasting and does not spoil as quickly as most other meats without preservatives.
Furthermore,kabanosy are also categorized into two other main types, depending on the amount of spices used: "hot" (very spicy) and "mild" (less spicy). Both "harder" and "softer" types ofkabanosy come in "hot" or "mild", since the "hardness" of the sausage comes only from the length of its smoking time, but otherwise the two are made of the same ingredients.
According to modern recipes,kabanosy are seasoned with different spices, such asblack pepper,chili, and others. Unlike other meats, these sausages are typically eaten alone as anappetiser or are often served with cheese. Althoughkabanosy can be cooked with other food, they are usually served cold only. Only if no other meat were available to Polish travelers or soldiers would they then have slicedkabanos into small pieces to cook them with vegetables,buckwheat,millet, potatoes, or whatever else was available.
Some manufacturers have created sausages made with the same process askabanosy, but have substituted the traditional pork with other meat (mainly poultry). Due to their distinct shape and look, they are often calledkabanosy, too, with the addition of the name of the meat they contain, such askabanosy z kurczaka, 'chickenkabanosy'.
It is commonly cut into bite-sized chunks and eaten cold as anappetiser orsnack, often withcheese and crackers. Smallkabanosy, called mini-kabanosy, are also available. Slicedkabanosy is also a popularpizza topping.[where?]
Thekabanos sausage is mostly found in Southern, Central and Eastern European countries from theAdriatic Sea to theBaltic states, and is also very popular inAustralia,New Zealand,South Africa,Israel, andPeru, where the sausage is one of the most prevalent dried sausages. In Central and Eastern Europe,kabanos is mostly consumed as a snack. In Israel, because of dietary laws (Jewishkashrut andMuslimhalal),kabanos sausage is almost exclusively made of chicken or turkey.Kabanos is also fairly popular inColombia, where it is calledcábano.
After the accession of Poland to theEuropean Union, Poland and Germany became involved in a trade dispute over the namekabanos (due to a German claim to the traditional Polish recipe).[7] In 2011, when Polish manufacturers submitted scientific proofs ofkabanos' Polish origins, the EU registeredKabanosy staropolskie as aTraditional Speciality Guaranteed on request ofPoland.[8] This status does not forbid manufacturers from other countries to produce and sell kabanos under that name, but demands that when using the nameKabanosy staropolskie, it is made according to specified "time-honoured recipes".[9]
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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 | |||||
