Sausage-making is an extremely ancient art. It dates back to 3100 B.C. and was probably a way for people to preserve the small scraps of meat, blood, and offal they had after butchering an animal. These “leftovers” contained valuable nutrients and calories, so it was only natural that people would try to preserve them by placing them into the intestines and stomachs of animals.

Over the years, this practice has evolved into a very sophisticated art of sausage making. Now, over 5000 years later, we’re here to honor that tradition by observing October as National Sausage Month. This is a month to try out new varieties of sausage, and maybe even try your hand at making homemade sausage.

The History of National Sausage Month

The name of this month has changed somewhat over the years. It originally began as National Hot Dog & Sausage Month — a month that was created in 1994. However, that name was soon shortened to just National Sausage Month, which makes sense because a hot dog is essentially a sausage, so the original name may have been a little redundant.

Of course, we’re sure there are plenty of people who disagree with that statement and consider hot dogs to be different from sausages. However, we’ll refrain from getting into that debate and just enjoy the latest incarnation of this month.

Some Amazing Sausage Facts

We have come across many different facts about sausage, so we couldn’t help but share some of them for all of our readers to enjoy. So grab some sausages and maybe a cold drink and enjoy the following amazing sausage facts.

• The word “sausage” comes from the Latin word “salsus.” This word means salted.
• The word “botulism” comes from the Latin word “botulus,” which means sausage.
• Nitrates are often added to sausage to prevent botulism.
• In the Mediterranean, sausages were fermented.
• Hot dogs cause 17% of food-related asphyxiations in children younger than 10 years old.
• In the United Kingdom, there are over 500 different sausage recipes.

Observing National Sausage Month

You don’t have to be a genius to realize that the best way to observe National Sausage Month is by enjoying some sausages. We suggest that you don’t just eat the same sausages that you and your family normally eat.

No, we recommend that you try out something new. And we have a few ideas about that. Because it’s also Oktoberfest, you may want to try a Bratwurst Pork Sausage. Or, if you prefer, you can try out a Kurobuta Pork Sausage, Chorizo Smoked Sausage, or Andouille Smoked Sausage.

There are also Kielbasa Smoked Sausages, Longaniza Cooked Sausages, Italian Sausages, Morcilla Blood Sausages, and Chicken Sausages. Of course, that’s only a small sampling of the hundreds of different sausages available. Now your task is to find the one that suits you and your family’s tastes.