Description
The Traditional Cumberland Sausage PGI is a spiral coil-shaped seasoned pork sausage made from boneless pork meat (minimum 80%), rusk, water/ice and seasonings.
Production Area
The Traditional Cumberland Sausage PGI is produced in the County of Cumbria, which comprises the old counties of Cumberland, Westmorland and parts of North Lancashire and North Yorkshire, in the North-West of England.
Production Method
Once the pork is de-rinded to remove the skin and gristle, the boneless pork cuts are broken down with a mincer or by hand. Where a mincer is used, the size of the holes of the mincing plate must be at least 4,5mm in diameter. The mince is then mixed by hand or with a mechanical mixer. The use of a bowl chopper or similar is prohibited as this would create an unacceptably emulsified end product. The rusk (which can include wheat-based dough, potato starch, flaked rice, spelt, soya grit and gluten-free rusk), iced water/ice and seasoning (white pepper, black pepper, salt, thyme, sage, nutmeg, mace, cayenne) are then mixed together with the mince. The mixture is then transferred to a sausage filler machine which feeds it into the sausage casings. The filling of the sausages, as well as the regulation of the meat flow, is carried out manually. The production, processing and preparation of Traditional Cumberland Sausage PGI must take place in the county of Cumbria.
Appearance and Flavour
The Traditional Cumberland Sausage PGI is cylindrical in shape when at full length but the final product is coiled to produce its distinctive spiral shape. It has a coarse texture which is generally pink in colour and visible flecks of seasoning, which make this sausage more highly seasoned in respect to other British sausages.
History
According to local folklore, the sausage was originally introduced with the influx of German miners to the area in the XVI century. It is said that the distinctive shape was introduced during Elizabethan times by German miners to remind them of the meaty sausages they had in Germany. Originally the Cumberland sausage was made from the indigenous domestic Cumberland Pig, adapted to the cold and damp climate of the county, until it became extinct in the early 1960s. There was an influx of exotic spices to the port of Whitehaven in the XVIII century when the town prospered as the third largest port in the United Kingdom from trade between the Americas and Africa. During that time, the area now known as Cumbria was introduced to black pepper, ginger and nutmeg. Most farms and many households in the area kept a small number of pigs as a means of self- sufficiency, this tradition continued until the 1950s.
Gastronomy
The Traditional Cumberland Sausage PGI is best kept in a cool dry place, preferably in a refrigerator. It is eaten cooked, traditionally pan-fried or grilled, but also oven-baked depending on the recipe. The product is usually cooked in its characteristic spiral form, kept in placed by wooden skewers, and served with mashed potatoes, french fries, polenta or pasta.
Marketing
The product is sold as Traditional Cumberland Sausage PGI and is vacuum-packed in plastic trays or sold individually.
Distinctive Features
The Traditional Cumberland Sausage PGI has a distinctive spiral shape. In respect to other sausages, it is not tied but rolled into a traditional coil form. It is highly seasoned and spicy.
