Michigan State University Extension
Preserving Food Safely - 01600614
10/13/97
Since the earliest times, man has prepared some type of
meat product comparable to sausage. Homer spoke glowingly
of sausage in his Odyssey, saying it was a favorite food of
the Greeks. The Romans' liking for sausage was so great
that no festive occasion was considered complete without it.
Marco Polo's spice quest and Christopher Columbus's voyage
in search of a shorter route to the East Indies for spices
used in sausage are additional indications of its early
popularity.
Some of the early sausage makers became so adept in the
spicing and processing of sausages of distinctive types that
the fame of their products spread throughout Europe. Many a
delectable sausage of today bears the name of its city of
origin. From Italy comes Milano, Romano, Genoa, Bologna,
and Salami. Sausage makers in Germany and Austria led the
development of fresh and cooked sausages. From Frankfurt,
Germany, came the frankfurter and from Vienna, Austria, the
wienerwurst.
Sausage is continuing to grow in popularity and
homemade sausages are common. Homemade sausages are
particularly popular among big game hunters who find that
properly handled game, when made into sausage, is palatable.
Further incentive for preparation of game at home comes
from production of sausages spiced to meet individual
preferences and made from the hunter's game.