Saucisson de l'Ardèche

Appearance & taste

When cut, the sausage is reddish, slightly dark, with clearly visible white pieces of fat and spices. The coarser the mince, the more clearly the fat and lean meat stand out from each other. It tastes slightly salty and spicy, with a pronounced meaty flavour, and is soft and melting in the mouth. In thick casings it ripens more slowly and develops a slightly sour note.

The shapes result from the section of intestine used, which often also gives the name. The “Saucisse sèche” is in the narrow casing and is sold straight, curved or coiled into a spiral. “Petit chaudin”, “Chaudin” and “Gros Chaudin” are filled into the chitterling casing, tied with string and partly hand-tied or covered with a net; the “Gros Chaudin” weighs over 2 kg. The “Rosette” is named after the end of the intestine, and the round-bellied, egg-shaped “Jésus” is in the bung. According to the specification, it got its name because it is “swaddled” like a child and was served at Christmas time.

Production

The meat and fat come from pigs and sows born, reared and slaughtered in the EU. Matured meat from heavy pigs or sows makes up at most 60 %. The pigs receive at least 60 % cereals, and growth-promoting additives are prohibited. From sows, only the ham, shoulder, loin, back fat and belly are used.

The meat is pre-salted so that the lean and the fat bind well and the sausage becomes firm enough to slice and soft. Saltpetre is the only additive. After resting, the meat is minced, filled into natural casings, pre-dried for at least 36 to 60 hours and then dried. How long depends on the weight, diameter and casing: at least 17 days for the “Saucisse sèche”, at least 40 for the “Gros Chaudin”, at least 56 for the “Rosette” and at least 63 days for a “Jésus” over 1.5 kg. All steps from pre-salting to ripening take place in the area of origin. Sausages over 1.2 kg may also be sold cut.

Origin & history

The area covers the department of Ardèche except for 13 municipalities in the far south and corresponds to the old Vivarais, from which the department was created in 1790. In the mountains between 500 and 1,700 m the climate is harsh, with cold winds and, in the north, snow until the end of April; below 400 m it is temperate, and in the far south Mediterranean. For a long time the region was isolated and hard to reach.

Until the beginning of the 20th century, the pig was the families’ only source of meat here. Slaughtering traditionally took place at the beginning of winter and at Christmas; people lived on the meat and cured products through the winter. The farmers’ drying methods were later taken over by artisan businesses, some of which are over a hundred years old. Trade in the sausages began in the 17th century, and the markets grew above all at the beginning of the 20th century. In 1890 Charles Albin Mazon marvelled in his travel writings at ceilings full of bacon, hams and strings of sausages.