The history of sausages from Carniola
The name 'Carniolan sausage' (kranjska klobasa) derives from the days of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in the early 19th century. A multinational state, the Austro-Hungarian Empire produced many products that were identified by the nations and regions from which they originated. Thus F. Schlögl, for example, states in his work Die Saison der Wurst that there were originally eight different types of sausage in Vienna, which were joined by at least twelve 'new' types. These included the Nuremberg sausage, the Brunswick sausage, the Debrecener, the Polish sausage... and the Carniolan sausage. Our sausage thus got its name because it was a special type of sausage from Carniola, a former crown land of the Empire.
The name 'Carniolan sausage' therefore contains a very specific geographical designation represented by the main historical province in Slovene ethnic territory from the 15th century onwards, and at the same time the only province that was entirely Slovene. This is also why 'Carniolan' was once a synonym for 'Slovene'.
Although Carniola ceased to exist as a separate province within the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918, the name 'Carniolans' (Kranjci) is still used in everyday speech as a regional designation for the inhabitants of this part of Slovenia. Other phrases and designations using the adjective 'Carniolan' (kranjski, kranjska) also exist. Among the best known of them in global terms is a species of bee called kranjska čebela (Apis mellifera carnica), one of the three standard species of honey bee, the name of which appears in other languages as the Carniolan bee, Krainer Biene, etc. The same applies to the specification of the geographic origin of the Carniolan sausage or kranjska klobasa, known in other parts of the world as Krainerwurst, Kransky Sausage, Salsiccia di Cragno, etc.
The assumption that the use of the name kranjska klobasa dates from the 19th century is confirmed by written sources, particularly old cookery books and manuals. The oldest reference to the name to have been unearthed to date appears in a book by the famous cook Katharina Prato entitled Süddeutsche Küche (1896, first edition 1858). The Slovene version of the name appears in the sixth edition of Slovenska kuharica by Felicita Kalinšek (1912), a continuation of the first original cookery book in Slovenia, written by Marija Magdalena Knafelj-Pleiweis in 1868. Although Katherina Prato's book does not actually contain instructions on how to make Carniolan sausage, there is no doubt that her reference to it is one of the oldest written mentions in German of a sausage with this name.
It may be concluded from the nature of the reference in the book that the Carniolan sausage was already widely known under this name at that time. Felicita Kalinšek's book from 1912, on the other hand, also contains a detailed description of the method of making, cooking and serving Carniolan sausage:
'CARNIOLAN SAUSAGE: Finely chop or, better, dice 6 kg of pork meat from the stomach or, better, the thigh. Remove all fat and veins and replace with fresh bacon cut into small cubes; sprinkle with 180 g of salt, 5 to 10 g of saltpetre and 5 to 10 g of crushed pepper. Add a crushed head of garlic to a quarter of a litre of water and strain onto the meat. Mix well, then stuff the meat into the small intestine of a pig, form sausages and put them to smoke for 1 to 3 days. Then hang them up in a room that is well ventilated but not warm, although it is even better to place them in fat, where they will remain good for a whole year. When you use them, boil them for between a quarter of an hour and one hour. Serve warm with sauerkraut, braised cabbage or pickled turnip, or cold with grated horseradish or home-made mustard...'
The etymology of the word klobasa suggests a stuffed ball or meaty lump, as well as a round loaf or round piece of meat. A similar word appears in other Slavonic languages and it may also be found in the dialects of other cultural environments, for example as kolbassa in German-speaking lands.
This etymology, like the other evidence, goes to prove that the meat sausage is indubitably part of our cultural heritage as far as eating habits are concerned. It has been present for centuries on everyday and holiday menus in Slovenia and is part of the festive ritual surrounding the koline, the slaughter and butchery of the pig. The roots of the product that was given the name 'Carniolan sausage' in the 19th century actually lie in the koline.
A number of deviations from the original recipe can be found in cookery books and manuals, particularly those from the end of the First World War and the period following the Second World War. This process intensified with changes to the name and, with the introduction of new manufacturing technologies (the addition of meat batter or even beef!), is reflected in particular in the current product ranges of some major producers. All these efforts, of course, have systematically destroyed the reputation, importance and recognisability of this famous Slovene meat product. For this reason, the protection of the traditional reputation of the Carniolan sausage became a matter of urgency.
In 2002, the Faculty of Biotechnology at the University of Ljubljana, with the support of the Meat and Meat Products Commercial Interest Association at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia, carried out research on the Carniolan sausage. This was the first step on the road to obtaining protected status. In spring 2004 a group of citizens of Slovenia gathered at the Jezeršek House of Gastronomy in Sora pri Medvodah and decided to introduce the expert judging of Carniolan sausages that same year, with a view to awarding the title of 'best sausage' for the current year. The range of sausages on the market has reached a level which is a long way from the quality and reputation of this product as handed down to us by its heritage.
Dr Janez Bogataj
