The world is divided between pork lovers and pork haters, and in the middle are sausages.

Traditionally made to make use of the pig during slaughter, they have gone from farmhouses to markets and contemporary kitchens. The quality of the meat, the climate, the slow curing process, and the experience passed down from generation to generation make Catalan sausages a living heritage that unites tradition, identity, and taste.

Pork consumption in the Mediterranean

The Mediterranean is divided between pork lovers and pork haters. We didn't invent this; it's how butchers have traditionally explained why some Mediterranean populations are passionate about pork, while many others (Muslims and Jews) don't eat it because they consider it unhygienic, or simply because they don't think about it. Similarly, while one part of Mediterranean culture has considered owning a pig (how many of us have had piggy banks?) a symbol of wealth, for another, it has been sinful. So close and yet so far, and at the heart of it all: the pig.

How are they classified?

CROSS DRYING

Once stuffed into the casing, they undergo a natural drying and curing process.

*Although they are sold with the rest of the pork products, they are not properly sausages, because they are not put inside any casing.

COOKED

Cooked sausages were traditionally made on the same day as the pig slaughter because they utilized the animal's blood and the leftovers from other, more refined preparations. They are primarily made by stuffing the meat and other ingredients (such as rice, onion, or egg) into casings and then cooking them.

CRUS

They are sold raw and must be fried or cooked before they can be eaten.

Parts of the pig

Some sayings

• At Christmas, salted pork
• He who has nine pigs in the salting box, a Merry Christmas is expected.
• By Saint Thomas, grab the pig by the nose
• From pig and from gentleman, it has to come naturally
• Hallelujah, hallelujah, he who doesn't kill a pig doesn't eat chuba
• Every dog has his day
• He who has a vegetable garden and a pig, has good comfort all year round.
• Slaughter the pig in January if you want it to keep well.
• The miser is like a pig; he only benefits when he's dead.
• From the pig, even the tail is good.
• Year over, fattened pig

Infographic on the ARA Domingo paper