THE English larder is rather bare when it comes to dried and smoked sausages,’ notes Jan Davison in English Sausages. She has a point because, although we’re masters of the fresh —Cumberland and chipolata, Newmarket, Lincolnshire and Oxford, not to mention a glut of puddings: black, white and hog—we are somewhat lacking when it comes to anything preserved. The French have their saucisson sec, the Italians their salami and the Spanish their chorizo. Not forgetting Polish kielbasa, German wurst and 1,000 other delectable European variations on this highly exalted art.
They not only delight the taste buds, but ensure every part of the beast is used
Ok, so cold, wet weather is hardly ideal for air-dried sausages. In the parts of southern Europe where they do these things best, conditions are rather dryer. But that doesn’t explain why other northern European countries, with a
