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Longanizas Made by Author Photo by: Lord-Williams |
Ar.
mirkas,
kroush
mahshiei (stuffed intestines;
mahshi, anything that is stuffed),
Eng. sausages, salted meat. The Spanish word is derived from the Latin
salsio,
to salt.
The Berbers claim they introduced them into Spain long
before the hot dog was invented in Frankfurt. The Romans, however, could have
introduced them as they ate sausages. Apicius gives recipes for sweet or strong
sausages. Recipes for Spanish sausages have varied little over the centuries
consisting of chopped lean or fatty pork of
pig.
Today, Spanish sausages are
seasoned with white pepper, paprika, nutmeg with salt and local variations such
as basil, sugar, garlic, coriander and/or cumin. In the
Middle Ages, Spanish sausages contained minced meat mixed with garum, pepper,
coriander, lavender and cinnamon as seen in the Anón Al-Andalus recipe for “mirkas.”
Hispano Muslim and Jewish sausages were made with lamb or other meats except
pork. Spanish Christians in general made
pork sausages but Anón/Grewe provides recipes using fowl, lamb
and goat. Medieval Jews and Christians added wine before
stuffing the mass in intestines.
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The Author with
Sausages made by her
Photo by: Lord-Williams |
Sausages include chorizo (red pork sausage), longaniza
(white sausage), morcilla (blood sausage) and salchicha (spiced
sausage, in which ingredients vary according to the place where it is made). Of
these there are various types: raw, bland and hard and regional variations.
Sausages can be cured or smoked to last for a long time without having to be
refrigerated. Formerly, as today, sausages are
hung or preserved in ceramic jars. They can be boiled, fried or eaten raw.
[Anón/Grewe.
1982:IIII:65; Anón/Huici.1966:1:15-16; Apicius/Flower.
1958:20:II:I:4:63:II:IV:69:II:V:1-4:69-71; Apicius/Liversidge. 1958:30; Castro.
Alimentación. 1996:177:240:253 etc.; García
Sánchez. 1992:149; Gitlitz. 1999:210; Pers. Memories. Slaughters
Mostoles. 2000:2001:2003; Sanz. 1967:10;
and Serradilla. 1993:63-66:70-74:91]
For a recipe for sausages by the Medieval Spanish Chef see blog titled "picado" published May 29, 2017.