• We know from murals that the ancient Egyptians made sausages from the blood of sacrificial cattle

• The word ‘sausage’ is derived from the Latin salsus, ‘salted’

• The German Currywurst is so beloved that there is a museum dedicated to it in Berlin

• The popular pizza topping pepperoni is not Italian at all, but an American invention

• Mexican green chorizo is coloured with herbs, jalapeño chillies and tomatillos

• The Chinese have made sausages since around 600 BC

includes a selection of recipes

From bangers to Bratwurst, and Cumberlands to chorizo, every country has its own special sausages. There is a veritable alphabet of sausage, from the Cajun andouille – and its less spicy forerunner, a French saucisson of the same name – all the way to the Italian zampone. As this rich and engaging history shows, people worldwide have been making sausages for thousands of years. They can be made of blood, meat, fish or cheese; have a skin or be skinless; be dried, smoked, fermented or fresh; tubular, spherical or in a patty. The history of the sausage is one of relentless creativity and invention, as different cultures found countless delectable ways to transform otherwise unappealing scraps of meat.

Gary Allen peppers his account with examples from all over the world, as well as antique posters and advertisements, artworks and cartoons; together, they build a picture of a food that has been beloved – even as it’s scoffed at – throughout human history.