Krakowska & Beer

I have been blessed with a love of beer and sausage, a finer pair there may not be.

Have you ever tried Krakowska? I'm sure you've tried Kielbasa, but Krakowska?

Krakowska is pronounced (roughly) krah-KAHV-ska and is a type of Polish sausage famously from Krakow, Poland. My grandfather was from Krakow so it has special meaning for me. It has traditionally been served on Easter morning but it seems it is growing in favor for Christmas feasts, as well as more generally for cold-cut trays.

It is made of very lean pork and has a ham-like constitution. The difference is that it's always smoked and stuffed in a large casing (three inch) and it has the greatest, tastiest spices you can imagine. You can warm it or more usually you enjoy it cold as it's already cooked. I recently picked up three pieces for Christmas, at Greenview Meats in West Hazleton.

It goes perfectly well with an I.P.A. where the garlic and peppery flavors mesh well with the punchy hop expression.