Where would we find traditional Hungarian sausages or a molecular gastronomy kit in
South Auckland? Hayley Hannan goes hunting and gathering.
Lines of white-coated salami swing softly above Istvan Muik's head. Slowly fermenting, these specialty Hungarian meat sticks take six months to ripen."They're like my babies, you know. You have to sing to them every night," he says gravely.
I stand to the side of a stainless steel island as Mr Muik furiously rubs salt and garlic into slabs of pork, getting the meat ready to be made into prosciutto. It's a time-consuming process - the pork will be cured, smoked, then left to air-dry before it's ready.
"We do it the traditional way," he says. "There's no preservatives, no additives."
Mr Muik has worked with his father, Istvan Senior, for more than 20 years making specialty sausages, prosciutto and salami - many bound patriotically in Hungarian red and green string. His butchery, in a small, licensed building out the back of his Manurewa house, is one of the stops on the upcoming World in a Day: South Auckland Foodie Discovery Tour.
On October 16, Auckland foodies will be treated to tastes and cultures from around the world. "The world in a day concept is that there's a variety of foods. We try to have a mix, but we focus in a suburban region. It's lots of shopping, lots of tastes and lots of information, along with some camaraderie from others," enthuses organiser Lynn Huhtala.
This tour begins at Otara market, where people will sample fresh produce and learn how Pacific Island cooks use it.
Next, it's on to Sous Chef, a gourmet food specialty store run by Simon Gault, restaurateur and MasterChef NZ judge.
There, foodies may try out a molecular gastronomy kit used to make mousses and foams that are popular in high-end restaurants.
After visiting Mr Muik's butchery, the tour explores Asian and Indian food stores in Otahuhu before finishing at Mangere Villa Maria winery.
Making salami
Sausages often combine meat scraps, organs and fats, and traditionally are made from beef, pork or veal.
The first sausages are reported to have been roasted intestines stuffed into stomachs.
Salami is a form of dried sausage. There are two types - cooked and air-dried. Cooked salami is more commonly found in supermarkets, because it takes less time and labour to make.
Dried salami ages over three to four months and is more of a specialty product.
Salami is made by mixing herbs, spices, salt, pepper and other flavourings with a selection of meat.
Dried salami is said to have been popular with peasants as it would keep at room temperature for a number of weeks. Still does.
For more info on the tour, contact Lynn Huhtala, at Finding Flavour on 021 550 510 or lynn@ findingflavour.co.nz
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