If Proust had been Catalan, maybe he would not have started to remember after having eaten a slice of “fuet” dried sausage, but who knows? Maybe he would have done it after taking a bite of a lard cake. The counties of Girona are the territory of sausages, as endless stories relate, including those of the great twentieth-century chronicler, Josep Pla, which are among the most eloquent.
Intestines are stuffed with pork marinated in salt and some kind of spice or aromatic herbs. Some are dried in cool, dark pantries. Others are boiled in a pot and then have to be eaten quite quickly, as the lack of cold and oxidation turn them bad. However, there are people who refine and mature whole pieces, because they are very interested in their organoleptic evolution, especially towards a balanced rankness. Most, however, understand the sausage as generic: pieces of pork processed with the intention of storing them for a while and eating them little by little, rather than all at once.
This is a territory of raw meat, minced and seasoned with salt and pepper and left to dry: llonganissa, fuet, secallona, somalla, etc., as well as white botifarra, liver sausage, black pudding, and sweet botifarra. And also from pork loin, head of loin, neck and ham sausages. Generically, we call them “baiona”.
The slaughter is a living tradition, although its continuation is more of a custom than a necessity, a desire to preserve a way of life and for pure gastronomic pleasure. However, a strong network of butchers that supplies our towns and cities continues to prepare sausages in the traditional way and to research the creation of new ones.
Sausages with the 2018-2019 Girona Excel·lent seal
Long fuet
To produce the country’s iconic sausage, Jordi Vilarrasa uses only ham, pork back and belly, salt and pepper. This butcher, who has a stall in the market square in Olot, raises his pigs naturally and slowly on the family farm that he has owned since 1994 at Mas Janric de Begudà, in the La Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park.
Cap de llom
The whole cut of marbled lean pork, seasoned with pepper and salt, cured, dried and matured in many different forms with various names (baiona, clatell, cap de llom, etc.), is one of the greatest delights of Catalan cuisine. Carnisseria Alemany, which has production facilities in Banyoles and a stall in the Mercat del Lleó in Girona, makes this cured pork product using natural casings.
Botifarra blanca
Xavier Alemany founded his butcher’s business in 1998 with two objectives: to maintain tradition and pass it on. Although white botifarra is available in different thicknesses and lengths, the sausage encased in large intestine is one of the most popular and one of the cooked sausages traditionally associated with the butchering of pigs. At Carnisseria Alemany it is prepared with dewlap, bacon and pork loin, salt and pepper.
Botifarra de perol
Can Raliu is a family butcher’s opened in 1947 in Jafre. Although all botifarra is cooked (or was cooked) in a perol (large pan), only this one recalls the fact in its name. Because it contains head, fat bacon, pork rind, chitlings, tongue, kidney and heart, it is also known as botifarra de parracs (rag-tag botifarra). This pork sausage can be used in numerous ways, both in popular dishes and more sophisticated recipes.
Category: Botifarra de perol
Producer: Can Raliu, SL
Peltruc de carn de perol
The experience of Carns i Embotits Homs, opened in 1961 in Sant Hilari Sacalm, has enabled this firm of butchers to give a new twist to traditional products by presenting this tribute to pork, which combines meat cooked in a perol with botifarra blanca. The result is a casing with pork belly and neck bacon, with pieces of tongue, kidneys, pork belly and rind, seasoned with salt and pepper, that recalls sausages made with tongue.
Botifarra medieval
Mas Corominas, a family farm in Begudà which raises its own pigs, has looked to the past to present an innovative product inspired by the spicy food in mediaeval recipes. This mediaeval sausage is a mixture of duck liver and chicken, bacon, dewlap, slices of venison or kid, rosemary, thyme, oregano, onion, salt and pepper.
Category: Unique specialities, sausages
Producer: Granges Corominas, SL
The sausages tasting jury.
Cinto Arnau
Technician of the IRTA (Institute of Research and Food Technology)
Magda Perramon
Guild of butchers and charcuters. Owner of Ca la Magda, Ripoll
Xavier Baig
Owner of La Noucentista gastronomy supplies store, Girona
Miquel Iglésias
Head waiter of the restaurant Els Ossos, Batet
Pere Planagumà
Chef at restaurant Les Rom, Roses