Kielbasa is a traditional polish sausage popular in North America. It literally means any sausage in Polish but the English use the word to refer to a particular variety of Polish sausages. It is made of pre-cooked pork along with other seasonings. The shape is similar to a regular sausage and the diameter varies from one inch to two inches. The flavor is smoky and also depends on the seasonings used.
In United States, the term kielbasa is used to refer to sausages whereas in Canada it is referred to as kubasa or kubie which is served in hot dog buns.
Varieties of kielbasa
- Kabanosy – It is a thin, dry sausage made of pork. Caraway seeds are used to flavor the sausage.
- Kielbasa wedzona – It is a smoked sausage.
- Krakowska – It is a thick smoked sausage flavoured with garlic and pepper.
- Wiejska – It is a U – shaped sausage made of veal and pork flavouring using garlic and marjoram.
- Weselna – It is a party or wedding sausage which is U – shaped.
- Biala – It is a white sausage which is unsmoked and uncooked. It is a boiled or fried sausage.
Ingredients and Preparation
Pork, turkey, beef, lamb and veal meat are used to make kielbasa. Lean portion meats are preferred. Meat is ground to a fine paste. This is stuffed in sausage casings and smoked and precooked.
Serving
- Kielbasa is a traditional food of all polish weddings.
- It is served as a part of breakfast in America.
Popular Recipes Using Kielbasa
Kielbasa sausage with vegetables – Sausages are cut into small one inch pieces and stir-fried with vegetables.
Kielbasa with baked beans – Baked beans are cooked along with onion, peppers, etc. Sliced sausages are added to the beans and poured in a casserole and baked for about 45 minutes.
Kielbasa pasta – Sausages can be sliced and added to pasta in basic tomato basil sauce.
Kielbasa en croute is a snack made by stuffing kielbasa in puff pastry sheets.
Health and Nutrition Facts
Serving size – 2 oz.
Calories – 127 cal, Fat – 9.9 g, Saturated fat – 3.5 g, Sodium – 627 mg, Protein – 7.5 g
- Kielbasa is not very high in calories but high in fat. It is also high in sodium as a lot of salt is used for curing. It is not suggested for people suffering from obesity and heart ailments.
- It is high in protein majorly contributed from the lean meat. It is very good for body builders and growing children as they need a lot of protein.
- As the sausage is high in sodium, it is not safe for people suffering from hypertension and high blood pressure.
.jpg)
