Andouille ( , ; ; from Latin ) is a smoked sausage made using pork, originating in France but also known as an element in Cajun cuisine.
France
In France, particularly
Brittany and
Normandy,
the traditional ingredients of andouille are primarily pig
chitterlings,
tripe, onions, wine, and seasoning. It is generally grey and has a distinctive odor. A similar, but unsmoked and smaller, sausage is called
andouillette, literally "little andouille". Some andouille varieties use the pig's entire gastrointestinal system. Various French regions have their own recipes such as: "
l’andouille de Guémené", "
de Vire", "
de Cambrai", "
d’Aire-sur-la-Lys", "
de Revin", "
de Jargeau", "
de Bretagne", or "
du Val d'Ajol".
Protected Status
Andouille de Vire has been registered as a Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) under European Union law since 2019.
Italy
'Nduja, a spreadable pork salami from
Calabria, probably originates as a variation of andouille, originally introduced to Italy in the 13th century by the Angevins.
United States
In the U.S., the sausage is most often associated with Louisiana
Cajun cuisine, where it is a coarse-grained smoked
sausage made using
pork,
garlic,
Black pepper,
,
wine, and seasonings. Once the casing is stuffed, the sausage is smoked again (double smoked).
["Andouille sausage (Gastronomy) – Definition" (various), MiMi.hu, 2006, webpage: Hu-Andou.]
Nicknamed the "Andouille Capital of the World", the town of LaPlace, Louisiana, on the Mississippi River, is especially noted for its Cajun andouille.
The country Cajuns west of Lafayette, Louisiana, make andouille similar to the French. They season the pig intestines with salt and cayenne pepper, soak them in a water and vinegar bath overnight, and then rinse them well before stuffing them one into another lengthwise. They cut and tie them into long links with string and hang them with the sausage in the smoke house. They are not twisted into links because they are too dense. When a link is cut, the concentric rings of the intestines can be seen.
Though somewhat similar, andouille is not to be confused with "hot links", New Orleans hot sausage, or similar finely ground, high-fat, heavily peppered sausages.
See also
-
Cuisine and specialties of Nord-Pas-de-Calais
-
List of sausages
-
List of smoked foods
