Here we are, with British Sausage Week almost upon us (2nd to 8th November 2009). It’s cunningly scheduled to coincide with Guy Fawkes Night, which is a traditional time to eat sausages (for supper on Bonfire Night, British mums often stack several sausages around a pile of mashed potato and pour baked beans on top, to give a bonfire-like effect. My mum always did, anyway!).
So why ‘bangers’? In the second World War, some ingredients were hard to come by and this led to sausages being made to a slightly different recipe. The resulting increase in water content meant more steam as they were cooked and…BANG!! Unfortunately, wartime sausages had a habit of exploding (as if the poor British public didn’t have enough explosions to cope with, what with the Blitz and so forth) and hence the nickname bangers was coined. And stuck!
Staggeringly, 97% of British sausages are consumed in the home (we eat £560 million of sausages each year). Which means this is one area of True Britishness that you could easily miss! Trust me, that would be a shame. And a real oversight, so do add this to your holiday planning list.
Hmmmm… I’m thinking that suggestion didn’t meet with an over-enthusiastic response?
Okay. Firstly, you need to forget ALL about sausage links, franks, wieners etc. Let’s start with a clean slate and an open mind; the British banger is a different beast entirely. Then, ignore the processed sausages that hotels may try to serve you for breakfast. If they are just “sausages” and don’t have a name, don’t eat ‘em!
What you really need is a gastro-pub to offer you “traditional Cumberland sausages with mashed potatoes, peas and onion gravy”, which has to be the most English way to eat them. And it’s my favourite way! Some places may offer you flavoured varieties, such as pork & stilton or pork & apple. Others may tempt you to non-pork types, such as venison sausages (which casserole beautifully with a rich sauce) or even lamb & mint. Or you’ll spot a menu with “toad in the hole” (sausages baked in a tray of starchy batter which goes fluffy and voluptuous; excellent served with gravy and green beans), which is certainly traditional, although possibly an acquired taste.
But steady on here, old chap. If you’ve never had a British banger before, let’s start simply. Try bangers and mash.
The idea of sausages being celebrated may strike you as being a tad strange, particularly if all you’ve had before are American sausage links. But there is a reason why the British Sausage Appreciation Society boasts thousands of members.
If you’re a New Yorker, why not pop down to Myers of Keswick (where real British sausages are available) right now, try bangers and mash for supper and judge for yourself?
And when you’ve tried our noble banger, you’ll understand why it’s so dear to our hearts that the word ‘sausage’ is even used as a term of endearment in the UK (yes, honestly!).
That’s all for now, sausage. Back next week.
Author Info - Anna (true bonafide Brit) wandered all over the US whilst she was reporting for the BBC, but now blogs from her mellow stone 17th century farmhouse in the heart of beautiful Blighty. Share her passion for True Englishness at The Anglofile Read more from this author
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Anglotopia was founded by Jonathan and Jackie Thomas for people who love Britain - whether it's British TV, Culture, History or Travel - we cover it all. Anglotopia was started to get us back to the UK for a trip and it did that in 2009. Now, the goal is for Anglotopia to make our dream of living in the UK a reality.
Reminds me of the Yes, Minister Christmas special when Jim Hacker makes a stand for the British Sausage against the evil Euro Sausage. Classic when he reads off the ingredients and almost makes himself sick saying ‘I just had one this morning.’