ABSTRACT
Chinese-style sausages are made from ground or comminuted meat through a series of processing steps, including marination, mixing, stuffing, cooking, and smoking. Today, over 20 varieties of sausages are manufactured and sold in the Chinese food market. The sausage processing technology originated from Europe, particularly from Italy, France, Germany, Poland, Holland, and Russia. However, the product recipes and formulations have been developed to uniquely suit Chinese consumers’ taste preference. Today, several food companies in the United States are also making Chinese-style sausages, which are sold in supermarkets usually run by Chinese-Americans. However, the flavor of these products deviates considerably from the authentic Chinese sausages. For example, paprika and tripolyphosphate are commonly used in Chinese-style* sausages made in the United States, but they are seldom used in those made in China. Pork remains the far predominant species used to make Chinese-style sausages, but other species, including beef, lamb, rabbit, chicken, and duck, are also used. Unlike their European-style counterparts, many Chinese-style sausages are prepared from larger meat and fat particles; are more heavily seasoned and spiced; and are drier, sweeter, and firmer in texture. Based on the product formulation and the specific processing proce dure, Chinese sausages can be classified into three major types: (1) traditional sausages, (2) starch-type sausages, and (3) emulsion-type sausages. Several popular Chinese sausage products are described below.
