Description
The Gyulai Kolbász PGI is a meat and hard lard based sausage obtained from pigs from Magyar Nagyfehér breeds crossed with Magyar Lapály, Manganica, Hampshire, Duroc and Pietrain breeds and their crossbreds.
Production Area
The production area of Gyulai Kolbász PGI covers the cities of Gyula and Békéscsaba, in the region of Southern Great Plain.
Production Method
The meat is selected through handmade boning, from thigh, shoulder, trotter, diaphragm, spare ribs, neck and underbelly. After being frost or refrigerated, the meat and lard are minced up to 4-6 mm of size and then mixed with salt and pepper, garlic, caraway, sweet pepper and hot pepper. The casing of pig small intestine or the artificial casing, if the product has to be sliced, is filled, in pairs, with the mix. Then the sausages are smoked for two-three days mostly using beech wood. The process of seasoning and drying last 14-16 days in rooms with a temperature of 16-18°C and a relative humidity which decreases gradually. The physical-chemical characteristics of the product are refined during the after-seasoning period which is necessary to balance humidity, compactness, colour and taste.
Appearance and Flavour
Gyulai Kolbász PGI has a cylindrical shape, is 18-26 cm long and has a diameter of 26-40 mm. It is dark red in colour and reveals visible pieces of lard. The dough is compact and elastic and characterised by a typical smoking aroma, whilst the flavour is spicy.
History
The glorious history of Gyulai Kolbász PGI started in the first years of the 20th century. Indeed, in 1910, brought by József Balogh to the Universal Expo in Brussels, it won the gold medal making the Balogh company so famous and well-known that it has become one of the most important companies in the local economy. Following this success, many important companies of meat processing have established in Gyula, and over time the sausage has continued to be appreciated and awarded with prizes at both a national and international level. Among the most recent prizes, the Foodapest in 2000, and the Magyar Minoség Háza prize of the Hungarian house of quality in 2001.
Gastronomy
Gyulai Kolbász PGI can be stored for a long time, but it has to be stored either at room temperature in a cool and dry place or in the least cold compartment of refrigerator. It can be eaten alone, as a snack or in a sandwich, with brown bread and cheese, but it may also be combined with eggs or become an ingredient of more complicated recipes such as soups or stewed meat dishes.
Marketing
The product is sold as Gyulai Kolbász PGI. It sold in pairs or sliced. When sold in pairs, it is packed in labelled packaging, vacuum packed or in modified atmosphere, whilst the sausages to be sliced are sold without casing and not in pairs. When sliced, the product is packed in modified atmosphere.
Distinctive Features
Gyulai Kolbász PGI owes its characteristics to the breeding experience in the production area and the pedoclimatic conditions of the area, which is located in one of the lowest and flat areas of Hungary and is characterised by important rivers and forests.
