Bologna sausage facts for kids
Bologna sausage, often called baloney, is a type of sausage. It comes from mortadella, which is a similar sausage from Bologna, a city in Italy. Mortadella is made from finely ground pork with small cubes of pork fat.
Bologna sausage usually has seasonings like black pepper, nutmeg, allspice, celery seed, and coriander. Just like mortadella, it often gets its special taste from myrtle berries. In different parts of the world, bologna has other names. For example, it's called parizer in countries that used to be part of Yugoslavia, Hungary, and Romania. In Zimbabwe, Zambia, South Africa, and Western Australia, it's known as polony. Most of Australia calls it devon, and in South Australia, it's called fritz.
In North America, a very common and easy meal is the bologna sandwich.
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Different Kinds of Bologna
Bologna can be made from more than just pork. It can also be made from chicken, turkey, beef, venison, or a mix of these meats. Some types even use soy protein.
Bologna in the United States
In the U.S., government rules say that American bologna must be very finely ground. You shouldn't be able to see any separate pieces of fat in it.
Lebanon Bologna
Lebanon bologna is a special kind of meat from the Pennsylvania Dutch people. Even though it's called bologna, it's actually a dried, smoked sausage. It's more like salami.
Polony
In the United Kingdom and Ireland, "polony" is a finely ground sausage made from pork and beef. The name probably comes from Bologna and has been used for a long time, since the 1600s. Today, this sausage is usually cooked in a red or orange skin and is eaten cold in slices.
In New Zealand, "polony" is a small cocktail sausage. It has a pink or red skin that is colored artificially. It's much smaller than a Saveloy. Very tiny polonies in New Zealand are called "Cheerios." People usually eat them after boiling them.
South African "polony" is similar to bologna in how it's made and how it looks. It's usually not very expensive. Large pink polonies (with artificial color) are called French polony, while thinner ones are just called polony. You can also find garlic polony there.
Rag Bologna
Rag bologna is a long, thick stick of bologna that traditionally comes wrapped in a cloth rag. This type of bologna has more "filler" ingredients than regular bologna. Things like milk solids, flour, cereal, and spices are added when it's made. The roll of bologna is then treated with lactic acid and covered in paraffin wax. This kind of bologna is mostly found in West Tennessee and nearby areas. People usually eat it on white bread with mustard and pickles. It's also a popular food at family gatherings, where thick slices are smoked and cooked on a barbecue. In Newfoundland, a type of rag bologna called "wax" bologna is sliced thickly and fried. This is sometimes called "Newfie steak."
Ring Bologna
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Ring bologna is much thinner than regular bologna. This makes it good for slicing and serving on crackers, either as a quick snack or an appetizer. It's usually sold as a whole link, not already sliced. The link is shaped like a semicircle or "ring" when you buy it, which is where its name comes from. Pickled bologna is usually made from ring bologna that has been soaked in vinegar and common pickling spices. It's often served in chunks as a cold snack.
Vegetarian Bologna
There are also versions of bologna made for vegetarians and vegans. A common recipe in the UK uses soya and wheat protein instead of meat. It uses palm oil instead of animal fat, along with starch, carrageenan, and flavorings to give it taste. You can eat it cold or cook it in the same ways you would traditional bologna.
See also
In Spanish: Salchicha de Bolonia para niños
