Kielbasa

Various types of kielbasa

Kielbasa, Kovbasa, Kolbasa, and Kubasa are common North American[1] anglicizations for a type of Eastern European sausage. Synonyms include Polish sausage, Ukrainian sausage, etc. In English, these words refer to a particular genre of sausage, common to all Eastern European countries but with substantial regional variations. In the Slavic languages, these are the generic words for all types of sausage, local or foreign.

Contents

Etymology and usage

The terms entered English simultaneously from different sources, which accounts for the different spellings. Usage varies between cultural groups, but overall there is a distinction between American and Canadian usage.

In the United States, the form kielbasa (usually pronounced /kiːlˈbɑːsə/ or /kɪlˈbɑːsə/) is more often used and comes from the Polish kiełbasa [kʲewˈbasa]  ( listen) "sausage", perhaps a derivation from the Turkic kül bastï "grilled cutlet"[2]. In New Jersey, Pennsylvania and most areas of Greater New York City, the Czech pronunciation, or possibly a derivative of the Polish word is used, and is usually pronounced "ke-bah-see" (/kəˈbɑːsiː/) or "keu-bah-sah".

In addition to kielbasa, Canadians also use the word kubasa (pronounced /kuːbɑːˈsɑː, ˈkuːbəsɑː/), a corruption of the Ukrainian kovbasa (ковбаса), and Albertans even abbreviate it as kubie to refer to the sausage eaten on a hot dog bun.[3]

Varieties and region varions

Canada (general)

In Canada, varieties typical of Poland, Ukraine, and elsewhere are typically available in all supermarkets, and more specific varieties can be found in specialty shops. This type of sausage is particularly associated with the Prairie Provinces, where the Slavic cultural presence is particularly strong. The world's largest Ukrainian (model) sausage is a roadside attraction in Mundare, Alberta, which is also the home of Stawnichy's Meat Processing.[4][5]

Hungary

Kolbász is the Hungarian word for sausage. The Cuisine of Hungary produces a vast number of types of sausages. The most common smoked Hungarian sausages are Gyulai Kolbász, Csabai Kolbász, Csemege Kolbász, Házi Kolbász, Cserkész Kolbász, lightly smoked, like Debreceni Kolbász (or Debrecener) and Lecsókolbász, a spicy sausage made specifically for serving as part of the dish Lecsó, a vegetable stew with peppers and tomatoes. Hungarian boiled sausages are called "Hurka", Liver Sausage, "Májas", and Blood Sausage, "Véres". The main ingredient is liver and rice, or blood and rice. Spices, pepper and salt are added.

Czech Republic & Slovakia

Klobása is the Czech and Slovak word for sausage.

Poland and the Polish diaspora

Sausage is a staple of Polish cuisine and comes in dozens of varieties, smoked or fresh, but almost always based on pork (although in many areas, it is available in beef, and sometimes in turkey, horse, lamb, veal, or bison), every region having its own speciality. Popular varieties include:

Original kielbasa is also called "Polska kiełbasa" for "Polish Sausage" or "Kielbasa Starowiejska" known as "Old Country Style Sausage". This one comes closest to what is generally known in America as "kielbasa" (Polish sausage, Polska Kiełbasa). Nowadays, many major meat packers across America offer a product called "kielbasa," but it is usually quite different from the original.

In Poland, kielbasa can be served with fried onions, and—in the form of small pieces, Kielbasa can be served hot, boiled, baked or grilled. It can be cooked in soups (such as biały barszcz, kapuśniak, or grochówka), baked or cooked with sauerkraut, or added to bean dishes, stews (notably bigos, the Polish national dish), and casseroles. Kielbasa is also very popular served cold as a coldcut on a platter, usually as an appetizer for traditional Polish parties.

A less widely available variety of kielbasa is the White Fresh (biała), which is sold uncooked and unsmoked, then is usually prepared by boiling or cooking in a soup in place of a typical meat. This variety of kielbasa taste is similar to mild Italian Sausage but is much leaner meat.

Ukraine and the Ukrainian diaspora

In Ukraine "kovbasa" is properly pronounced [kowbɑˈsɑ], but in English is usually pronounced /ˈkʌbəsɑː/.

United States (general)

In the U.S., "kielbasa" almost always means some form of wiejska (although often not U-shaped and seldom containing veal), which may be unsmoked ("fresh") or fully or partly smoked. There is also a brand of sausage pronounced the same but spelled Kiolbassa Sausage.

Elsewhere

Similar sausages are found in other Slavic nations as well, notably Russia (spelled "колбаса", i.e. "kolbasa"), the Czech Republic (spelled "klobása", or regionally "klobás") and Slovakia (spelled "klobása"). In Iran, the sausages are referred to as Kalbas (Ka'l-BUS).

Polish sandwich

In the United States, a Polish sandwich is a sandwich with kielbasa, sauerkraut, and mustard on rye bread. The fast-food chain Wienerschnitzel features this dish.

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ "Anyone for a Kubasa on a Calabrese?"
  2. ↑ Dictionary.com The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004. (accessed: September 09, 2009)
  3. ↑ The Canadian Oxford Dictionary has headwords for the Canadian usage kubasa, as well as the Albertan kubie and kubie burger, for kubasa dogs and burgers, respectively.These have been made popular by Stawnichy's Meat Processing of Mundare who have been making Ukrainian-style sausage for several decades and have a variety of 'Kubie'- derived patties and cutlettes. See also this article
  4. ↑ http://www.mundaresausage.com/
  5. ↑ http://www.mundare.ca/Giant-Sausage

References

External links