Chinese Sausage

Generally sold in strings of two, each sausage measuring about 6 inches in length, ¾ inch across, and weighing 1½ ounces, these sausages lend a unique color, sweetness, and richness to a dish. Unlike our Western sausages, they are hard to the feel and very bumpy in profile, because they are dried as a preservative and are made with pieces of firm pork fat. The most common variety is pork sausage, which is sweet and rosy. However, there is also a popular sausage made from duck liver, which is dark and rich. You will also occasionally see beef sausage and extra-lean pork sausage. The standard pork variety is my favorite, both for the way it complements the vegetable and rice dishes in which I most frequently use it and for its own good taste.