Kielbasa (UK: /kiːlˈbæsə/, US: /kiːlˈbɑːsə, kɪ(l)ˈbɑːsə/; from Polish kiełbasa [kʲɛwˈbasa] (About this soundlisten))[a] is any type of meat sausage from Poland and a staple of Polish cuisine. In American English the word typically refers to a coarse, U-shaped smoked sausage of any kind of meat, which closely resembles the Wiejska sausage (typically pork only) in British English.
The word entered English directly from the Polish kiełbasa and Czech klobása, meaning "sausage". Etymological sources state that originally, the word comes from Turkic kol basa, literally "hand-pressed", or kül basa, literally "ash-pressed" (cognate with modern Turkish dish külbastı), or possibly from the Hebrew kol basar (כל בשר), literally meaning "all kinds of meat;"[1] however, other origins are also possible.[2]
The terms entered English simultaneously from different sources, which accounts for the different spellings. Usage varies between cultural groups and countries, but overall there is a distinction between American and Canadian usage. In New Jersey, Pennsylvania and most areas of Greater New York City, a plural Polish transitional form is used, kiełbasy (/kɪˈbɑːsi/). Canadians also use the word kubasa (/kuːbɑːˈsɑː/ or /ˈkuːbəsɑː/), an Anglicization of the Ukrainian kovbasa (ковбаса), and Albertans even abbreviate it as kubie to refer to the sausage eaten on a hot dog bun.[b]
Sausage is a staple of Polish cuisine and comes in dozens of varieties, smoked or fresh, made with pork, beef, turkey, lamb, chicken or veal with every region having its own speciality. Of these, the kiełbasa lisiecka, produced in Małopolskie,[3] kiełbasa biała parzona wielkopolska and kiełbasa piaszczańska are Protected Geographical Indications in the EU and the UK.[4] Furthermore, Kabanosy staropolskie, Kiełbasa jałowcowa staropolska, Kiełbasa krakowska sucha staropolska and Kiełbasa myśliwska staropolska are Traditional Specialities Guaranteed in the UK and EU as well.
There are official Polish government guides and classifications of sausages based on size, meat, ready-to-eat or uncooked varieties.[5]
Originally made at home in rural areas,[6] there are a wide variety of recipes for kielbasa preparation at home and for holidays.[7] Kielbasa is also one of the most traditional foods served at Polish weddings.[8] Popular varieties include:
kabanos, a thin, air-dried sausage flavoured with caraway seed, originally made of pork
kielbasa odesskie, made with beef.
kiełbasa wędzona, Polish smoked sausage, used often in soups.
krakowska, a thick, straight sausage hot-smoked with pepper and garlic; its name comes from Kraków
wiejska ([ˈvʲejska]), farmhouse sausage; it is a large U-shaped pork and veal sausage with marjoram and garlic; its name means "rural" or (an adjectival use of) "country", or (adjectival use of) "village".
weselna, "wedding" sausage, medium thick, u-shaped smoked sausage; often eaten during parties, but not exclusively
kaszanka or kiszka is a traditional blood sausage or black pudding.
myśliwska is a smoked, dried pork sausage.
kiełbasa biała, a white sausage sold uncooked and often used in soups.
Kielbasa krakowska, also called "Krakauer", which originated in the city of Kraków
The most popular kiełbasa is also called "Kiełbasa Polska" ("Polish Sausage") or "Kiełbasa Starowiejska" ("Old Countryside Sausage").
In Poland, kiełbasa is often served garnished with fried onions, and – in the form of cut pieces – smoked kiełbasa can be served cold, hot, boiled, baked or grilled. It can be cooked in soups such as żurek (sour rye soup), kapuśniak (cabbage soup), or grochówka (pea soup), baked or cooked with sauerkraut, or added to bean dishes, stews (notably bigos, a Polish national dish), and casseroles. Kiełbasa is also very popular served cold as cold cuts on a platter, usually for an appetizer at traditional Polish parties. It is also a common snack (zagrycha) served with beer or plain vodka.
A less widely encountered but equally popular variety of kiełbasa is the White Fresh (biała - i.e. "white"). It is mainly used as a soup meat, and is therefore sold uncooked and unsmoked. When used, it is prepared by boiling, frying or boiling in soup in place of raw meat. This kiełbasa's taste is similar to a white Thuringian sausage. Traditionally served with barszcz biały.
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