Swiss “Cervelat”

The Cervelat is the national sausage of Switzerland. Some 160 million cervelats weighing 27,000 tons are produced annually, which is a consumption of 25 cervelats per person per year. Grilling cervelats over a fire is a childhood memory for nearly every Swiss person; as a result, many Swiss are emotionally attached to this sausage. Swiss cervelats are made of pork, bacon, pork rind and ice, along with spices and curing salt. The ingredients are finely minced in a cutter, packed into intestines, smoked for a few hours and then boiled. A cervelat may weigh from about 100 to 200 grams. Swiss cervelats are prepared and eaten cooked or raw. They can be boiled, grilled or fried. They can also be served uncooked, either in a salad or with bread and mustard. It is also an essential ingredient to a typical Swiss Cheese Salad.