„DEBRECEN DOUBLE SAUSAGE” AS A NATIONAL CULINARY HERITAGE

Debrecen double sausage is a traditional food product, made from beef and pork, with some bacon and a secret combination of spices, mainly ground red pepper. It is a juicy, slightly smoked, meat product of bright red colour, produced in linking pairs. The sausage originally made in Debrecen became known as “Debreziner” in German-speaking countries, and then in other parts of the world. There are four different varieties: made from pork only, beef only, a mix of pork and beef, or kosher lamb.
The sausage was originally a high-quality homemade product. However, during the last few decades, the industrial meat production simplified the recipe and a cheap version started to dominate the markets. This greasy version of the sausage with a less sophisticated flavour lost its popularity among the health-conscious customers and the brand of this food product also deteriorated.
In the last few years, double sausage has become an important objective of several stakeholders (City of Debrecen, Committee of Debrecen's Repository of Values, Foundation for the Gastronomy of Debrecen, along with producers, restaurants interested in the revitalization of the noble traditions of the product). An agreement has been made laying down the basic requirements for the Debrecen double sausage in terms of appearance, gastronomic values and quality criteria. They established the Debrecen Double Sausage Codex to protect and renew the reputation of this product of local pride.