For decades, immersed in studying, working, learning, and teaching in the craft of meat curing, now sharing his passion with you through eat cured meat online resource.
When it comes to the spices, herbs and aromatics you can use in a sausage, it’s pretty endless. The combination and synergy definitely can produce more then the ingredients separately.
However, not all things work together in terms of spices and herbs!
Over the 20 odd years I’ve been making and studying sausages.
I’ve had friends and acquaintances that have come with some interesting “concoctions” of sausage spices, some spices were not so good together – to say the least.
I’ll give you an expansive list of the spices I know, and I will talk about quantities I used as a guide based on weight. This will help you to come up with your own creations.
I’ll also highlight the ‘proven’ spices for sausages that have lasted decades of at times, hundreds of years. Becoming classics of a culture.
Many foodies seek new and exciting flavors, including myself. Though, simplicity has its beauty, like Butifurra Spanish Sausage – GOOD Quality Pork, Salt, Pepper.
Good Spices for Sausage
Contents
![](https://eatcuredmeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Sausages-x4-large.jpg)
In a list format here are the common types. However, this is not exhaustive or limited to these!
It’s the more common sausage spices I’ve seen across the globe in classic recipes that have lasted hundreds, sometimes over a thousand years!
- Allspice
- Anise
- Basil
- Bay leaves
- Black pepper
- Caraway seeds
- Cardamom
- Cayenne pepper
- Celery seeds
- Chili powder
- Cinnamon
- Cloves
- Coriander
- Cumin
- Dill seeds
- Dill – dried
- Fennel seeds
- Fenugreek seeds
- Fenugreek – ground
- Garlic powder
- Garlic – Granules
- Garlic – Fresh
- Ginger
- Juniper berries
- Mace
- Marjoram
- Mustard seeds
- Nutmeg
- Onion powder
- Oregano
- Paprika (sweet and/or smoked)
- Parsley
- Poppy seeds
- Red pepper flakes
- Rosemary
- Saffron
- Sage
- Savory
- Star anise
- Tarragon
- Thyme
- Turmeric
- White pepper
- Lemon zest
- Mint
- Szechuan
- Sumac
You really can’t go wrong with a few spices like:
- Garlic
- Peppercorns, crushed or ground.
Nutmeg and cinnamon are some of my favorites. They are powerful, for pork-based sausages you need to go easy on them like 0.05 to 0.2% spice weight to the full weight of the meat.
First let’s start with some classics based on regionality.
Common Styles | Styles/Recipes | Common Spices/Herb | Taste |
---|---|---|---|
Spanish Spices | Spice forward, flavor rich | Pimentón/Paprika – Hot/Sweet/Smoked, Garlic, Peppercorns | Spicy, Smoky |
Italian Spices | Fennel, Basil, Subtle | Fennel, Garlic, Oregano | Aromatic, Balanced |
English Spices | Very Subtle | Sage, Peppercorns | Earthy, Herbaceous |
Eastern European Spices | Kielbasa, Garlic, Often Smoked | Black Pepper, Paprika | Rich, Hearty |
German Spices | Wurst, Subtle | Allspice, Mace, Marjoram | Subtle, Rich |
Asian Spices | Ginger, Soy Sauce, Spice Forward Flavor | Star Anise, Garlic | Savory, Umami |
Since sausage can mean fresh raw stuffed into a casing, cooked, or dry cured salami sausage. I will list various examples.
In certain countries, like Scotland and the USA sausage could mean a sausage patty.
![](https://eatcuredmeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Meat-Sausage-Pattie-Large.jpg)
Like the patty you find in a burger. I’ve focused here more on the cased type of sausage.
The sausages that interest me the most are included in this article. They are based on classic styles that have lasted, at times hundreds of years.
For example, the Nuremburg Sausage, which has a 500-year-old recipe (family connection) It’s also street-food showcased with food carts all across Nuremburg, Bavaria, Germany.
From my experience making sausages and salami for decades, I sometimes cross over the spices for dried or fresh sausages.
Also, sausages like Spanish Chorizo, have Fresca aka Fresh or dried versions also.
Grouping spices for different flavor styles of more classic and celebrated sausage spices. Here are some tables which highlight sausages from regions.
Spices for Spanish Sausage
Sausage | Style | Spices |
---|---|---|
Chorizo | Fresh or Dried | Paprika (sweet and/or smoked), Garlic, Black pepper, Oregano, |
Sobrasada | Dried | Paprika (sweet and/or smoked), Cayenne pepper, Garlic powder, Black pepper, Nutmeg |
Morcilla | Ready to Eat | Paprika (sweet and/or smoked), Cayenne pepper, Black pepper, Nutmeg, Cinnamon, Cloves (blood based sausage) |
Longaniza | Dried | Paprika, Cayenne pepper, Garlic powder, Black pepper, Oregano, Allspice, Cloves |
Salchichón | Dried | Black pepper, White pepper, Garlic powder, Nutmeg, Coriander, Cloves |
Butifarra | Fresh/Raw | White pepper (only traditionally, quality of pig) optional – Nutmeg, Cinnamon, Cloves, |
Spices for Italian Sausage
Most Italians I’ve met made sausage salami with red wine (garlic infused in wine), pepper and salt. This is a very, traditional homemade type of salami.
I’ve mixed both the fresh sausage that you cook, and also the salami dried sausage. Just to showcase the spices in various forms.
Sausage | Style | Spices |
---|---|---|
Luganega di Monza | Fresh/Raw | White pepper, Nutmeg, Cinnamon, Parmigiano Cheese |
Cotechino | Fresh/Raw | Nutmeg, Cinnamon, Cloves, Black pepper, Coriander, Garlic powder |
Salsiccia di Bra | Fresh/Raw | White pepper, Nutmeg, Cinnamon, Mace (Fresh, Eaten Raw!) |
Soppressata | Dried/Ready to Eat | Peppercorns, Chili, Garlic |
Mortadella | Ready to Eat | Black pepper, Pistachios, Nutmeg, Coriander |
Spices for United Kingdom Sausage
Mild flavors here, from what I know and what I’ve researched
Welsh Sausages:
Sausage | Style | Spices |
---|---|---|
Glamorgan Sausages (Selsig Sir Forgannwg) | Veg, To Fry | Parsley, Thyme, Nutmeg, Welsh Cheese, White Pepper |
Laverbread Sausage/Patty | Raw to Cook | Laverbread (Seaweed), Bacon, White Pepper, Salt |
English Sausages:
Sausage | Style | Spices |
---|---|---|
Cumberland Sausage | Fresh/Raw | Black pepper, White pepper, Sage, Thyme, Nutmeg, Mace |
Lincolnshire Sausage | Fresh/Raw | White pepper, Sage, Thyme, Nutmeg, Mace |
Pork and Leek Sausage | Fresh/Raw | Black pepper, White pepper, Sage, Thyme, Leeks |
Spices for Eastern European Sausage
Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia – these countries have overlapping traditions. Since modern day country borders are often meld cultures together.
Paprika is more common in Hungary, although, you will find a lot of crossovers with other spices.
Czech Republic Sausages:
Sausage | Style | Spices |
---|---|---|
Klobása | Ready to Eat or Dried | Garlic, Marjoram, Caraway seeds, Black pepper |
Jitrnice (Liver) | Ready to Eat, Reheated | Garlic, Marjoram, Thyme, Allspice, Black pepper |
Utopenec (Pickled) | Ready to Eat | Garlic, Black pepper, Bay leaves, Allspice |
Polish Sausages:
Sausage | Style | Spices |
---|---|---|
Kiełbasa | Ready to Eat (Cooked/Hot Smoked) | Garlic, Marjoram, Allspice, Black pepper |
Krakowska | Ready to Eat (Cooked/Hot Smoked) | Garlic, Coriander, Allspice |
Kabanosy | Ready to Eat (Cooked/Hot Smoked) | Garlic, Black pepper, Caraway seeds |
Wiejska (Country Sausage) | Ready to Eat (Cooked/Hot Smoked) | Garlic, Black pepper |
Hungarian Sausages:
Sausage | Style | Spices |
---|---|---|
Debrecener | Ready to Eat (Cooked/Hot Smoked) | Black pepper, Sweet Paprika, Garlic, Marjoram, |
Gyulai Sausage | Dried/Ready to Eat | Paprika, Black pepper, Garlic, Caraway seeds |
Csabai Sausage | Dried/Ready to Eat | Paprika, Black pepper |
Slovak Sausages:
Sausage | Style | Spices |
---|---|---|
Krvavničky (Blood Sausage) | Ready to Eat | Garlic, Marjoram, Black pepper, Allspice, Thyme |
Jaternice (Liver Sausage) | Ready to Eat | Garlic, Marjoram |
Oškvarková Klobása (Scrapple Sausage) | Raw/Needs Cooking | Garlic, Cuman, Pork Crackling |
Spices for German Sausage
Sausage | Style | Spices |
---|---|---|
Bratwurst | Raw | White pepper, Black pepper, Nutmeg, Mace, Coriander |
Frankfurter | Ready to Eat | White pepper, Nutmeg |
Bockwurst | Ready to Eat | White pepper, Nutmeg, Coriander |
Knackwurst | Ready to Eat | White pepper, Black pepper, Nutmeg, Ginger, Cardamom |
Thüringer Rostbratwurst | Raw/Needs Cooking | Caraway seeds, Mace, Garlic, Marjoram, White Pepper, Cardamom |
Bavarian Sausages:
Sausage | Style | Spices |
---|---|---|
Weisswurst | Ready to Eat (Warmed) | White pepper, Mace, Lemon zest |
Nürnberger | Raw/Needs Cooking | Black pepper, White pepper, Marjoram, Mace, Allspice |
Spices for Asian Sausage
Chinese Sausages:
Sausage | Style | Spices |
---|---|---|
Lap Cheong (Southern China) | Ready to Cook With | Soy sauce, Rice wine, Five-spice powder, White pepper |
Xiang Chang (Hunan) | Ready to Cook With | Chili, Garlic, Sichuan peppercorns, Fennel seeds |
Chinese Variations of Lap Cheong:
- La Chang: Dried, hard sausage made from pork with high fat content, smoked, sweetened, and seasoned
- Run Chang: Duck liver sausage
- Xiang Chang: Fresh, plump sausage with chopped pork and un-rendered fat, sweet taste
- Nuomi Chang: White sausage of glutinous rice and flavorings, sometimes containing blood, steamed or boiled
- Xue Chang: Blood sausage with blood as primary ingredient
- Bairouxue Chang: Blood sausage with chopped meat in blood mixture, popular in North East China
Thai Sausages:
Sausage | Style | Spices and Seasonings |
---|---|---|
Sai Ua (Northern Thai Sausage) | Raw/Needs Cooking | Lemongrass, Galangal, Kaffir lime leaves, Red curry paste, Coriander |
Sai Krok Isan (Fermented) | Raw/Needs Cooking | Garlic, Shallots, Sticky rice, Cilantro, Pepper |
Vietnamese Sausages:
Sausage | Style | Spices and Seasonings |
---|---|---|
Nem Chua (Fermented) | Eaten Raw | Garlic, Shallots, Chili, Sugar, Rice vinegar, Fish sauce |
Nem Nuong (Fermented) | Raw/Needs Cooking | Garlic, Lemongrass, Fish sauce, White pepper |
Gio Lua (Vietnamese Ham) | Ready to Eat | Fish sauce, Black pepper |
Korean Sausages:
Sausage | Style | Spices and Seasonings |
---|---|---|
Sundae (Korean Blood Sausage) | Ready to Eat | Sweet rice, Pork blood, Garlic, Ginger, Black pepper |
Filipino Sausages:
Sausage | Style | Spices and Seasonings |
---|---|---|
Vigan Longganisa | Raw/Needs Cooking | Garlic, Paprika, Annatto seeds, Black pepper |
Toasting or Dry Frying Spices for Sausages
For any dry spice you can often dry fry then in a frying pan, until aromatic over a medium heat. This can add another layer of complexity to your sausage spice!
Whole spices are ideal for this, then wait until they cool.
Once cool, then smash in a mortar and pestle or use a spice grinder.
Guide to How Much of a Spice for Sausages
Often 0.1 to 0.2% spice weight as a percentage of the total weight of the meat.
Metric is easy for these calculations.
ie. 1000 grams of meat / 1 kilogram
0.1% of 1000 grams = 10 grams
Which approximate to about 2 level teaspoons.
Be aware, teaspoon and tablespoon are very inaccurate for measuring recipes, weight should be used.
For ingredients like salt, the shape and size of salt varies ALOT. Therefore, the volume of teaspoon can be very different between salt brands/types.
For some classic recipes like Nuremberg sausage, the same percent of salt and marjoram is used. 1.5% for my recipe. Since marjoram is a dry green leafy herb, it’s like often ALOT!
Another example is classic Chorizo, again, the same amount of good quality dulce paprika as salt. Which is ALT of paprika!
Take note, these recipes were developed over hundreds of years!
Comments
thank for the idea please
Thanks for thanking glad it helped.