Cervelat
![]() Two grilled cervelats with their ends cut open in the traditional Swiss manner | |
Alternative names | Cervelas, servelat |
---|---|
Type | Sausage |
Place of origin | Switzerland, France (especially Alsace and Lyon), Belgium, Netherlands and parts of Germany |
Main ingredients | Beef, bacon, and pork rinds |
Cervelat, also cervelas, servelat or zervelat, is a sausage produced in Switzerland, France (especially Alsace and Lyon), Belgium, the Netherlands and parts of Germany. The recipe and preparation of the sausage vary regionally.
The sausages are spelled cervelas in the
The taste of the sausages depends on the region, but generally they are similar to that of a frankfurter, but with a smokier flavour and a texture brought about by its fat shape and the tightly wrapped natural casing. Various European semi-dry cervelat are similar to summer sausage in the U.S., and Thuringian sausage can be considered a type of cervelat. In the United States, the term Thuringer sausage is used for a type of cervelat, rather than Thuringian sausage in the European sense.[5]
Switzerland
In Switzerland, cervelats are cooked (slightly smoked and then boiled) or served "raw" (cold, having been cooked during initial manufacture). They contain a mixture of beef, bacon and pork rind.[1] The modern Swiss variety is packed into zebu intestines.[2]
The cervelat is often referred to as the national sausage of
Swiss cervelats are prepared and eaten cooked or raw. They are boiled, grilled or fried. They can also be served uncooked, either in a salad or with bread and mustard.[1]
Sometimes sold smoked and uncooked, cervelat can be seasoned, salted and cold smoked for one day.[8]
2008 casings shortage
Traditionally, Swiss beef intestines were used for the casings, but towards the end of the 20th century, local cattle producers lost interest in cleaning and preparing them, so meat processors switched to
The
By August 2008, most of the Swiss demand for bovine intestines had been met with imports from Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay.[11]
France
Cervelas de Lyon are a sausage specialty of Lyonnaise cuisine. They contain finely minced pork, and either truffles or pistachios. Sold uncooked, the sausage has to be boiled before it is eaten.[12][13]
In
See also
- Culinary Heritage of Switzerland
- Animal production and consumption in Switzerland
- Swiss sausages and cured meats
- List of sausages
- Saveloy
- Falukorv
References
- ^ Swissinfo.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l John Tagliabue (February 3, 2008). "Swiss Sausage Fans Fret Over How to Save Their Skin". The New York Times.
- ^ Julien Burri (15 August 2016). "Cervelas écervelé". Le Temps (in French).
- ^ Quart Livre, p. 26–27
- ^ The Art of Making Fermented Sausages by Stanley Marianski, Adam Marianski page 167
- ^ Swissinfo.
- ^ Coop cervelas (2 x 100g) packaging, May 2010
- ^ IFIS Dictionary of Food Science and Technology by International Food Information Service page 84
- ^ Swissinfo.
- ^ Interpellation no. 07.3793 on the Swiss Parliament website; see also the minutes.
- ^ swissinfo.ch, Cervelat replacement skins go international, 20 August 2008, retrieved 14 May 2009
- ^ Flickr image of Cervela de Lyon
- ^ Image of a French cervela, poached and containing pistachio, black peppercorn and fatback
- ^ "Cervelas d'Alsace". recettessimples.fr. Retrieved 2016-09-04.
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- Cervelat in the online Culinary Heritage of Switzerland database.