There are those who eat the sausage directly and there are those who, first, spend time removing the “skin”. But what exactly is that skin? Do you usually get it out? Let’s see why natural intestines are the best option to preserve the sausage.
Natural casing is edible
This natural wrapping of the sausage is edible, the body easily digests it and is also a fundamental and necessary part of the product. The natural casing has characteristics that make it the healthiest and most natural option to preserve the sausage. It is permeable, which helps the sausage to better maintain all the organoleptic properties, it is resistant, elastic and also does not generate residues.The use of natural casing is synonymous with quality and as a consumer, it lets you know that the product you are buying will have preserved all the flavor intact.
Are there different types of natural casings?
Natural casings have different diameters depending on the animal they come from. Bovine casing is used for larger sausages, such as longaniza, while pig casing is used for sausages with a smaller diameter, such as fuet or somalla. The secallona uses sheep casing, even narrower. For larger pieces, casings from other species or sewn casings can be used, such as the ones used for Salchichón Cular.
How to distinguish a natural casing from an artificial casing
Differentiating a natural casing from an artificial one is very simple. Natural casings are made from animal origin, so there will not be two alike, and each one will have an irregular shape. The resulting inlay will have irregularities, thicker points, and thinner points. On the other hand, the sausage wrapped in artificial casing will have a uniform diameter, without lumps or irregularities.The natural casing gives the sausage its own aromas that are lost with the artificial casing, neutral in flavor.
The Cular sausage (Culana)
While Pedragosa sausage is made with beef small intestine, our cular sausage is embedded in the large intestine of pork, so that the “skin” that surrounds is much thicker. The flavor is more intense, very characteristic, and the resulting ripening aroma is easily recognizable.