Did you know that Ohio is home to THE Slovenian Sausage Festival? Hosted at the National Cleveland-Style Polka Hall of Fame (yes, in Cleveland) the event is set for September, and it’s already in its 18th year.
So many questions.
But, this is a food column. So questions about Cleveland-Style Polka and related hall of fame shenanigans will have to wait. Let’s figure out this sausage issue. For starters, organizers make frequent references to “Klobasa,” but if you Google that, the search engine seems initially convinced that you’ve committed a spelling error and intended to type “kolbasa.”
A little diligence indicates that “klobasa” is a Slovene reference to a small sausage that’s served whole; Slovene being the language spoken in Slovenia, a country in southeastern Europe.
Now we’re rolling. And it’s not just a regular brat or even kielbasa. Slovenian sausage is its own thing, and there are several Ohio Slovenian Sausage Makers. In Central Ohio, specialty grocers like Weiland’s stock a version from Raddell’s, a Cleveland-based operation.
Raddell’s Slovenian Smoked Sausage is, at the risk of redundancy, definitely smoked. It’s not just a “smoke flavoring.” The sausage spends some time in the smoke house which, in addition to imparting flavor, also produces a “perfectly crisp” casing. That’s according to the package label, and indeed, the casing is a notable feature when you open up the package. It is more rigid than you might be accustomed to in a regular brat. The label also suggests that grilling is not the best approach, instead it should be simmered for 30 minutes.
Which turned out fine. The casing softened, the garlicky sausage held onto its distinct smoked flavor, and that feature makes it kinda special. And while following package instructions is always best practice, the label also mentioned that the sausage is “fully cooked,” so there are likely ways to experience it without boiling it first.
Raddell’s makes other things, including Hungarian Sausage and Potica, the latter of which is a Slovenian nut roll. There’s truly a world of Slovenian food (and polkas) to discover in Ohio.
For more about Raddell’s, visit raddellssausage.com.
For more about the sausage festival, visit clevelandstyle.com.