Mustamakkara facts for kids
Mustamakkara with lingonberry jam
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| Type | Sausage |
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| Place of origin | Finland |
| Main ingredients | pork, pig blood, crushed rye and flour |
Mustamakkara (which means black sausage) is a special type of Finnish sausage. People traditionally eat it with sweet lingonberry jam. You can find Mustamakkara in many stores across Finland. However, it is most famous as a local food from Tampere, a city in the Pirkanmaa region.
This sausage tastes best when it is bought and eaten fresh. Many people buy it hot from market stalls. It arrives at these stalls in styrofoam boxes, straight from the factories. If you need to warm it up later, frying it in a pan is a common way.
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What is Mustamakkara?
Mustamakkara has been a part of Finnish meals since the 1600s. Back then, people cooked it over small fires, in hot pots, or in ovens.
How is Mustamakkara Made?
To make Mustamakkara, people mix ground pork, pig blood, crushed rye, and flour. This mixture is then put inside a sausage casing, which is usually made from intestine. The two main companies that make this food are Tapola and Savupojat.
Buying Mustamakkara
When you buy Mustamakkara in the Tampere area, there's a fun custom. Instead of asking for a certain weight or number of sausages, people often ask for a specific value. For example, you might say, "Five euros' worth of black sausage, please." Sometimes, people just point to the piece they want.
Choosing Your Sausage
The shape and how moist Mustamakkara is can be different for each piece. This way of buying lets you pick the exact sausage you like best. Another common way to ask for a whole, U-shaped sausage is to say "return ticket" (menopaluu). A popular place to enjoy Mustamakkara is Tammelantori square in the Tammela district of Tampere.
Famous Fan
The well-known celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain once tried Mustamakkara on his TV show, Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations. He really liked it and even called it "Good stuff!" For many people in Finland, Mustamakkara is a taste you learn to love over time.
