A sausage sizzle is a community event in Australia and New Zealand[1][2] to cook and serve sausages in bread (also referred to as sausage sandwiches or sausage sizzles)[3][4][5] which are grilled or barbecued sausages (most commonly beef or pork) served in sliced bread or a bun with grilled onions and various condiments, most commonly tomato sauce, barbecue sauce or mustard.[6] The term "sausage sizzle" came into common use in the 1980s and is used primarily to refer to the barbecuing event, but also to the sausage itself, mostly in Western Australia.[6][3][4][5][7]
 A sausage in bread served with onions and tomato sauce | |
| Course | Snack |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Australia[1][2] |
| Associated cuisine | Australia, New Zealand |
| Main ingredients | Sausage, sliced bread |
Sausage sizzles are generally held either as free community events or as fundraisers for charities, schools, sports clubs and other organisations. As such, ingredients and equipment are cheaply purchased or donated by suppliers. Fundraising sausage sizzles have become particularly associated with elections in Australia and the hardware chain Bunnings.
Format
editMost commonly, the main sale item at a sausage sizzle is a pork or beef sausage (often colloquially referred to as a "snag"), cooked on a grill or barbecue[6] and served on a single slice of white sandwich bread,[8] or a hot dog roll in Western Australia.[9][10][11] Tomato sauce is the most common accompaniment, and is usually available for no extra cost, although other condiments such as barbecue sauce and American mustard are regularly available. Grilled onions are often available, for free or at extra cost.
Some sausage sizzles also offer the option of a white bread roll as an alternative to sliced bread. Vegetarian or gluten-free options are infrequently available, but they are often sold at events with more extensive menus, including hamburgers or complete meals.[citation needed] Cans of soft drink or bottled water may also be available for purchase, especially to maximise fundraising.[12][13]
Prevalence
editAustralian elections
edit
Sausage sizzles have become a recognised and expected addition to polling booths at Australian elections, with sausages at these stations nicknamed 'Democracy Sausages'.[14][15][16] There was widespread media coverage of this in the 2013 and 2016 Australian federal elections, with the hashtag "#democracysausage" trending on Twitter.[17] Twitter also added a sausage-in-bread emoji to the '#ausvotes' hashtag on the day of the 2016 election; it was the most widely used emoji in relation to the election under that hashtag.[18] During the 2016 election, the leader of the Australian Labor Party, Bill Shorten, came under scrutiny for the way in which he consumed his sausage in bread.[19]
Bunnings Warehouse
edit
Australian hardware chain Bunnings offers barbecue facilities at all of its stores for hire to community groups. Sausage sizzles at these locations usually occur on weekends and have become associated with the Bunnings brand.[20] In 2016, when Bunnings expanded to the United Kingdom, it brought the sausage sizzle there as well, resulting in considerable media coverage.[21][22][23]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b "The unauthorised history of the sausage sizzle". Radio National. 14 May 2019. Retrieved 20 October 2019.
- ^ a b "The Evolution Of The Holy Sausage Sizzle". GQ. Retrieved 20 October 2019.
- ^ a b "Sizzle, sandwich or sausage in bread? Australian language mapped". Radio National. 5 June 2015. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
- ^ a b "Mapping Words Around Australia". Linguistics Roadshow. 24 November 2015. Archived from the original on 24 August 2024. Retrieved 24 August 2024.
- ^ a b "Words Around Australia". Linguistics Roadshow. 24 November 2015. Archived from the original on 24 August 2024. Retrieved 24 August 2024.
- ^ a b c Santich, Barbara (2012). Bold Palates: Australia's Gastronomic Heritage. Kent Town, South Australia: Wakefield Press. p. 148. ISBN 978-1-74305-094-1. Retrieved 12 March 2017.
- ^ "What do you call a barbecued sausage, served in a single slice of bread?". Linguistics Roadshow. 24 November 2015. Archived from the original on 24 August 2024. Retrieved 24 August 2024.
- ^ "Straight or diagonal? The Sausage Sizzle debate Australia has to have". News.com.au. Retrieved 7 February 2016.
- ^ Liaw, Adam (27 December 2019). "Adam Liaw on the sausage in bread outcry and his favourite summer barbecue hacks". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
- ^ "East v West: WA Bunnings Sausage Sizzle For The Win". SoPerth. 13 November 2018. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
- ^ Butler, Gavin. "Inside the Complex and Secret World of Bunnings Sausage Sizzles". Vice. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
- ^ "Sausage Sizzle Fundraiser". How to Fundraise. Retrieved 7 February 2016.
- ^ "Australia Day pPay | Australia Day Play | SBS World News". Archived from the original on 19 February 2013. Retrieved 22 April 2013.
- ^ "Australia takes its democracy with a side of sausage". BBC News. 2 July 2016. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
- ^ Bourke, Latika (11 May 2019). "Aussie voters in London taste first democracy sausage". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
- ^ Lyons, Kate (16 May 2019). "Australia election: who are the candidates, and what's a democracy sausage?". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
- ^ "Australia takes its democracy with a side of sausage". BBC News. 2 July 2016. Retrieved 2 July 2016.
- ^ Sivasubramanian, Shami (2 July 2016). "Twitter releases 10 most-tweeted emojis this election day". SBS. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
- ^ "Bill Shorten forgot how to eat a sausage and no one can cope". The Feed. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
- ^ "49 Thoughts Everyone Has While Shopping At Bunnings". BuzzFeed. Retrieved 7 February 2016.
- ^ "An Aussie reviews the first UK Bunnings' snags". Herald Sun. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
- ^ Miller, Nick (6 February 2018). "Lost in translation: Bunnings UK customers split on the Australian invasion". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
- ^ Lansdown, Sarah (February 2017). "Britain's First Bunnings Just Opened And Everyone's Confused About The Sausage Sizzle". Huffington Post. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
