Cumberland sausage
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Cumberland Sausages are a type of traditional sausage that originated in the western area of the ancient county of Cumberland, England. They are usually very long (up to 50cm), and sold rolled in a flat circular coil but within western cumbria it is usually served in long curved lengths, Sometimes they are made shorter, like ordinary British sausages and sometimes they are served in breadcrumbs, like a minced beef crispbake but with sausage (Cumberland) in it instead.
The meat is pork and seasonings are prepared from a variety of spices and herbs, though the flavour palate is commonly dominated by pepper, both black and white, in contrast to the more herb-dominated flavours of sausage varieties such as those from Lincolnshire. There are traditionally no colouring or preservatives added. The crucial thing is that the meat should be chopped, not minced; consequentially the texture is relatively chunky. Cumberland Sausages made outside of West Cumbria are usually vastly different in quallity, taste and texture to sausages produced within West Cumbria. More often than not these sausages produced outside the county are longer versions of Lincolnshire sausages with a low meat content served in a coil as seen in the picture.
They are traditionally served within Western Cumbria in a long curved length with a fried egg, accompanied by chips and peas. Although they are sold in coils they are ment to be cut to the length you would like to eat before being cooked, not served in coils which is a common mistake outside the county.
There is currently a campaign by some Cumbrian butchers and meat manufacturers to have Cumberland Sausage placed under a British Protected designation of origin classification. This would provide the same protection as afforded to Parma ham and Feta cheese.
The association is still discussing the exact criteria for the sausages, but so far they include a high meat content of more than 80%, the sausage to be coiled, not linked, a wider diameter than conventional sausages and a rough cut texture.
It says the sausage should be prepared in Cumbria and while individual butchers have their own recipes, they are generally more highly seasoned than traditional sausages, which is thought to come from the import of spices at Whitehaven.
The product takes its name from the old Cumberland pig. Heavy boned, slow to mature, and extremely hardy, the creature became a symbol of the region, but was allowed to die out in the early 1960s. As an alternative the following breeds can be used:
