Poland sausage is a combination of pork and beef, but halal and kosher versions are made with veal, lamb, or chicken. It originated in Poland or Italy in the 1600s and is now available worldwide. Sausages were developed to use and store small bits of meat, and modern versions contain meat, fat, additives, and binders. Vegetarian options are also available, including African Poland made from orchid tubers.
Poland, also called Devon sausage, is a sausage generally made from a combination of pork and beef, although other varieties are available. Islamic halal and kosher Jewish poland are made with veal, lamb or chicken and come in various flavors. The meat is pre-cooked and ready to use on sandwiches, as a side dish or in a casserole.
The origin of Poland is uncertain, although it probably came from Poland or Italy in the 1600s; two countries that were famous for their sausages. The old name for Poland was Polonia, and it may be that the sausage was given its name to honor the country where it was first made. It is also possible that the word is a derivative of bologna, a sausage first made in Bologna, Italy. Polish was hugely popular in Europe in the 1600s and 1700s, and appears in a number of Regency cookbooks. It is currently available in Europe, North America, Australia and Africa.
Sausages predate refrigeration and were developed as a way to use and store small bits of meat that might otherwise go to waste. These scraps were ground together, heavily salted and spiced, and placed in casings made from animal intestines. The meats were cured by smoke and could last a long time at room temperature. Animal casings made from pigs, cattle and sheep are still available, but now most commercial sausage casings are made from synthetic materials, an option that sounds much more palatable to many modern consumers.
Sausages made today contain meat, fat, additives like sodium nitrate that kill bacteria, and substances that act as binders to help hold the meat together. Some of the binders used in sausage are whey protein, wheat, soy products and food starch. Shoppers with gluten allergies should read labels to ensure that no wheat-based product binders have been used. Gluten free varieties of poland and other sausages are available.
There are also a number of vegetarian options on the market for people who choose not to eat meat for dietary or religious reasons. In India, hindu shudda poland is made from soybeans and wheat. Vegan varieties can be found online and in some health food markets.
Chikanda, also known as African poland, is a vegetarian dish made from orchid tubers, the bulb-shaped roots of orchid plants. Chikanda is native to northern Zambia, where the orchid tubers are harvested. These bulbs are ground into a powder, mixed with ground peanuts, water, baking soda, salt, and chili powder.
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