:''For the city, see
Bologna.''
'Bologna sausage' is an
American version of the
Italian mortadella (a finely hashed/ground
pork sausage with
lard pieces, which originated in the Italian city of
Bologna). The American version can alternatively be made out of
chicken,
turkey,
beef,
pork, or
soybeans. It is commonly called 'bologna' and often pronounced (by
hypercorrection) and/or spelled 'baloney'. The "baloney" pronunciation can be used to mean "lies" and/or to express disbelief (see below).
This food is usually served in round uniform slices pre-cut in a package or sliced at a
deli, though many brands are sold as large chunks, known as "Johnsons", to be sliced by the consumer. Minced bologna is popularly produced and sold by
Oscar Mayer, which had a famous advertising campaign in the
1970s with a well-known
jingle ("My bologna has a first name, it's O-S-C-A-R..."), which was sung by
Andy Lambros. There are many other manufacturers as well, including local delis and grocery store meat counters.
Bologna sausage is typically served in a sandwich, often for lunch; hence, it is one of the most common "
cold cuts" in the U.S. However, bologna may also be served fried or wrapped around
mashed potatoes or pastry dough and
baked as a version of "
pigs in blankets".
Ring bologna can be found in two
inch (5 cm) diameter sausages that are normally about a
foot long (30 cm). These can often be found
pickled in a combination of
vinegar,
salt,
sugar and
spices.
Bologna sausage is commonly believed to be created from low quality scraps of meat cuts. It is assumed that this food, therefore, is the origin of the
slang word , meaning "nonsense". An alternative etymology suggests that ''baloney'' is a corruption, through the French, of the city of Bologna, Italy. As the university at Bologna was known for its legal education, the French, and later English, came to call legal clap-trap ''balogna'', or ''baloney''.
Bologna is also popular breakfast food in
Newfoundland, served fried as a substitute to
ham slices. It is also sometimes barbecued as well. In either case, it is referred to as "Newfie Steak". Sometimes Newfoundlanders will call it "dog" as well, referring to its scrappish composition.
A
similar sausage is known in Australia as Devon, fritz, mortadella, Belgium, luncheon, or polony. Which name is used is dependent on .
In
Pittsburgh, bologna is sometimes referred to as "jumbo".
[1] In Chicago, bologna is often called bosaus, a shortened version of ''bologna sausage''.
[2]
Varieties
'Bologna'
In general, bologna comprises chicken, beef, pork, veal, and/or other ingredients. It is constitutionally much the same as
frankfurters, although larger and sliced.
'Beef Bologna'
This is an all beef version, it is usually more of a red color than its mixed-meat counterpart.
'Kosher Bologna'
Typically made with only beef, but sometimes made from turkey. The manufacture of this variety of bologna is supervised by a rabbi to be certified
kosher.
'German Bologna'
Also known as Garlic Bologna, this sausage is typically distinguished by adding
garlic to the recipe.
'
Lebanon Bologna'
Named for
Lebanon County, this is the
Pennsylvania Dutch variety of the sausage. Distinguished by its smokey taste and dark, coarse appearance, this is one of the more extreme flavors of bologna.
Compare
★
Falukorv
References
1. http://english.cmu.edu/pittsburghspeech/alphabetH_O.html
2. http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/technology_internetcritic/2006/01/telephony_bolog.html