We love to hear from our customers at Sikorski, but lately it seems that we have been getting a lot of questions about our Blood Sausages. These exotic and beautiful sausages are a great source of iron, but some people are a little wary about trying them for the first time. If you’ve ever had any questions or concerns about this mysterious and alluring sausages, join us as we try to answer some of the most common issues about the Blood Sausage.
What is it?
Called by many names, such as “black pudding”, “boudin”, or “kaszanka”, blood sausage is a delicacy enjoyed and admired by connoisseurs all over the world. It is made the same way as any other sausage, but instead of just containing meat and other spices, it also contains blood and usually some kind of filler to soak up the blood so that it doesn’t leak out during cooking. The extra moisture and flavour from the blood gives the sausage a very distinct taste. It is also high in iron and vitamin A, due to the blood that it contains.
What’s in it?
Other than blood, meat, and spices exactly what is put into blood sausages changes a lot depending on the country where the recipe comes from. Some places add apples, others add onions, and some recipes use oatmeal. Because some blood sausages can contain wheat, it is best to be careful when purchasing them if you have a gluten or wheat sensitivity. At Sikorski Sausages, we make our blood sausage in the Polish (kaszanka) style, which uses buckwheat and onions to absorb the blood.
So… can I eat it?
If you have a gluten or wheat sensitivity, buckwheat should not cause a reaction. Despite the name, it actually is not a type of wheat at all – it’s more closely related to rhubarb! Buckwheat is an ancient grain like quinoa or amaranth that has been harvested for well over five thousand years and is used for making flour, honey, tea, beer, noodles (called soba noodles in Japan) and pancakes. It is called kasha in Poland and is put into cabbage rolls, blintzes, and porridges as well as blood sausages. In Canada, buckwheat is approved as part of a gluten-free diet. However….
- Blood sausages contain pork meat, and should be avoided by people who are restricted from eating pork for religious, cultural, or health reasons.
- Blood sausages can contain beef blood, and should be avoided by people who are restricted from eating beef for religious, cultural, or health reasons.
- Blood sausages are very rich and high in iron, and should be avoided by people who are on a restricted iron diet or suffering from gout.
Why would I want to eat it?
Blood sausage is considered a delicacy in Germany, Slovakia, and Poland, among other countries. It has a very delicate and characteristic taste that other sausages just do not possess, which makes it a fun and interesting addition to a charcuterie board or an exotic change to any dish that you would usually make with sausage.
How am I supposed to eat it?
Because there are so many different ways of making blood sausages, there are a lot of different ways to enjoy them as well. The preferred Polish style of enjoying blood sausage is to pan-fry it alongside some white onions and serve it with sauerkraut or cooked potatoes. They can be served with applesauce, horseradish, pan-fried potatoes, sautéed onions, or green cabbage. Blood sausages can be served cold, grilled, boiled, or even battered and fried alongside some French fries (an English snack delight for those who don’t feel like having fish with their chips)! Blood sausages are used in stews and gumbos, like the Louisiana boudin rouge. Blood sausages (called “black pudding”) are also often included alongside eggs, bacon, sausages, tomatoes and toast as part of a traditional English Breakfast. Once you start cooking blood sausage, you’ll find there are a lot of interesting and exciting ways to serve it!
Do you have any favourite recipes or ways of preparing blood sausages? If so, please share them with us in the comments below!
We grew up eating blood pudding from very young age. It is full of iron and other trace minerals. Do you have any in Stock at your trafalgar road store? Let us know ASAP.
We can never say for sure how much of our product is in a store, but we always make regular deliveries, so if anything ever runs out it will definitely get re-stocked very soon! Your best bet is to call the store yourself and speak to the deli manager right before you go: they might even be willing to hold onto some for you until you get there, if you’re lucky!
Can you ship more blood sausage to Regina Please! The Ukrainian Coop in Regina gas run out again. LOL. Sorry great product.reminds me of home thanks again
I am from Trinidad West Indies, blood sausage or black pudding is sold as street food, it’s eaten with hops bread something like a hamburger bread or a dinner roll. Some folks have it just fried with lots of pepper. It’s sold on a Friday or Saturday night. It’s made with pigs blood.
My love of blood (black) pudding goes way back, wherever I have travelled my quest has been to sample the local blood pudding.
I worked (and played) in Nottingham long time ago, dear friends there were of Polish origin, dear Mario and Ratty.
They had their own meats factory, introducing me to Kashanka.
Antigua, West Indies, again a weekend speciality is “Rice Pudding” another version of blood pudding, with rice as the filler. Queue up for it, and make sure you are early in the queue otherwise no change.
On a business trip to Spain we were taken first of all to a small bar on the mountains, there hanging behind the bar – you guessed it , black pudding.
I promptly spoke very nicely to the bartender getting a sample of the Spanish delight.
Went into the restaurant for dinner, what was the starter?
Black Pudding.
I hold my hands up in horror when I hear the comment “blood sausage, how can you”.
Keep up the good work. Please!
I like cooked blood sausage spread on rye bread toast.
Regretfully Loblaws in my area will not order these sausages for me
I must get them from an independent Deli in Halifax at an additional shipping cost
I originally purchased blood sausage from Canada Packers or Maple Leaf who no longer make them
I love blood sausage because a grew up with it . As I googled I found out about the high iron content plus the nutritional value. I should have known that. I like to fry it with potato home fries.