Sausage "Moscow" ... Probably, there is no such person who would not know about it. Once the Moscow sausage was associated exclusively with scarce foods. Today it has become quite affordable for most buyers. Tasty, fragrant and yet far from the cheapest, it differs from other sausages in its spicy sharp aroma, dense texture, pleasant salty taste. Pronounced wrinkling with clearly distinguishable pieces of fat under the shell - all these are characteristic features of this famous product. Let's consider in more detail.
Sausage "Moscow" - "holiday" product
So where to start? Sausage "Moscow" has always been considered a festive product. Today it is bought both with and without. By the way, do not be surprised at some of the innovations. Do not worry if you see a familiar product under a different name. Ivano-Frankivsk region, for example, decided to rename the sausage. This happened due to the situation that arose in the east of Ukraine. What is now called the Moscow sausage? "Bandera"! In a word, the process of decommunization went further.
But back to the main thing. When a person speaks of "Moscow" sausage, he, of course, means a meat "dry" product. However, in practice this is not entirely true. Today, not only raw smoked, but also cooked smoked sausage is produced under the marking “Moskovskaya” . This point is regulated by DSTU, although these products are manufactured using different technologies and have different taste characteristics.
What does it mean? During the production cycle, boiled-smoked sausage will be smoked, cooked, and then smoked and dried again. Raw smoked meat is initially smoked, and then dried. It does not boil. Production of dried sausages is considered more expensive and costly. Therefore, products are much more expensive than boiled-smoked.
Appearance
The main criterion for the quality of sausage is its presentability. When making a purchase, be sure to inspect the stick cut. If it is grayish and loose - refuse such an acquisition. Pay your attention also to the so-called drawing - it should be very clear, meat with pieces of bacon should be evenly mixed. In no case should there be any influx of fat or minced meat. Regarding the shell - it cannot be glossy, shiny like a cooked sausage. The real “Moscow” shell is dry and slightly wrinkled.
Before buying, also touch the stick with your hands. If it is slippery, wet outside, with gaps and dips - most likely, the production technology was violated. There may be another reason - non-compliance with the storage conditions of the product. Well, if the sausage is soft to the touch, then it was not finished.
Structure
The next moment. As already mentioned, the Moscow sausage has a specific regulatory document, which must comply. True, slightly generalized. It regulates the production of all smoked sausages. That is, separately, "Moscow" is not considered. Thus, according to DSTU, the range of ingredients for this product is limited. Typically, it is beef, bacon or pork and spices (nutmeg, pepper).
Often in the composition there are also bacterial cultures, the presence of which the consumer is sometimes slightly confused. Although, due to them, the development of harmful microbes is delayed in raw smoked sausages, the appearance of which is associated with various biochemical changes with the participation of the “right” microorganisms and meat enzymes. Microorganisms include lactocultures (lactic acid bacteria). The process itself is somewhat reminiscent of the manufacture of blue cheese.
Make no mistake
Moskovskaya is a smoked sausage, which, unfortunately, is increasingly becoming the subject of falsification. In addition, manufacturers can also not "bother" too much on its quality - use stale meat or cheap varieties of it. Therefore, when choosing a sausage, do not forget to be vigilant. Meat products are high-risk products!