Who knows from Polish sausage? I found...

[TreasonousBastard]

a fantastic deli on Pulaski St. in Polishtown, but no one speaks English there.

(Reminds me of the Brazilian neighborhood where I used to live in Joisey-- I felt like a tourist in my own neighborhood, which was not necessarily a bad thing. But, I digress...)

So, this guy has around twenty different sausages hanging behind the counter and when I got through to them I just wanted some plain ol' kielbasa, they rolled up a monstrous hunk of sausage that tasted great when I cooked some of it up.

But, when I tried to ask about the other stuff, and if they had English names somewhere, all I got was "You got #9." I could see that-- the number was clearly marked, but the name was in Polish.

So, anyone know something about the various varieties of Polish sausage? Googling was only of limited help so far.

[Phentex]

1. Here's a site that lists some...

http://www.polana.com/category/27

You may have to google the individual names of some of the ones in the deli to see what they are. Sounds like an interesting experiment to me!

[TreasonousBastard]

3. Thanks, that's the sort of thing I was looking for, but...

I noticed the label said "Weijska" on it, and hoping that was a sausage variety, googled it and got this as one of the answers...

http://www.polishforums.com/wiejska_sausage_cook-8_11163_0.html

Woo-Hoo! Polish sausage experts! And this stuff they gave me is apparently the one they thought "safest" to sell me, not knowing my tastes.

It's heavy with garlic and paprika and delicious cooked up with sauerkraut or grilled. I wasn't absolutely sure it was smoked enough to be eaten uncooked, but the site seems to say it is.

As with most other things, nothing like the name brand stuff you get in the stores. I doubt it's any healthier, but the flavor makes it worth it.

[eleny]

6. Do try some of the skinny smoked sausage

That's really good. And if they have rye breads, get some of those, too. Especially if they have any made by the Silver Bell bakery. I grew up on that. How I miss it. It doesn't look like they have any from SB but they should have some superb breads.

[TreasonousBastard]

9. Do you mean kabanosy? Or is there some other...

skinny smoked sausage?

I got two pounds of the stuff I have, and I feel my arteries clogging every time I open the fridge door and smell the pork/garlic aroma (it really fills the whole kitchen when I open the door.)

The next one I'll try, if I live that long, is the grill sausage, called "grillowa" on that Polana site.

And, yes, a good rye bread is truly the food of the gods.

[Tab]

2. For that matter, what's the difference between smoked sausage and kielbasa?

In the store, they seem nearly identical. The difference is too subtle for me to discern. They are different, but I'm not sure how so.

[TreasonousBastard]

4. "Kielbasa" seems to be a generic Polish term for...

smoked sausage, and I don't even think supermarkets when talking about ethnic foods, like sausages. You gots maybe two kinds of "Italian" sausage, factory breakfast sausage, factory knockwurst and "Polish" sausage, and, if you're lucky, factory brats.

Blecchhh!

Germany has maybe 200 kinds, and Spain, Brazil, Argentina, France... well, there's almost infinite varieties. Meat and fat shoved into a tube, but then the fun begins when you start fooling around with all the other stuff and the spicing and curing.

[Tab]

7. There used to be a German guy who sold sausages here

(when I was living in northern New Hampshire, so trust me this is not a common find). Unfortunately I must have reached him at the tail end of his business, because he wasn't around much longer, although I had been driving by the place forever before I finally stopped in, stupid me.

I remember passing through the Munich airport on my way back from Nepal and buying $80 worth of German salami and sausage from a kiosk - put them in my luggage - upon arrival customs took them. Damn, I was looking forward to them.

However, on the other times I've been in Germany, they have sausage, bread, butter, cheese, and so forth for breakfast (just kind of a snack plate). I love it.

You can get a few decent meats around, but not the good stuff. I wish I lived near some more ethnically diverse neighborhoods. Applebees sucks pig parts. (not sure what that means, but it sounded good).

- t

[TreasonousBastard]

8. One great thing about immigration is the food...

in those neighborhoods. Then, once the immigrants become assimilated and move around, their food becomes generic slop prepared to the lowest common denominator and sold in supermarkets and chain restaurants.

So, one day you go to the German and get some excellent bockwurst, the next day you're stuck with Johnsonville Beer Brats.

[eleny]

5. I make a kielbasa that's fresh

So, like TB said, it's a generic name.