Kranjska Klobasa

Kranjska klobasa is defined narrowly: coarsely cut pork and bacon, salt, garlic and pepper, nothing else, no fillers and no other spices, stuffed into natural casing, lightly smoked and pasteurised, and joined in pairs by a wooden peg through the ends. It travelled as the Krainer Wurst of the Habsburg empire and became a fixture far beyond these borders. The European geographical indication won in 2015 after a long dispute with Austrian and German producers over the name.

What you actually see

• The wooden peg - the pin joining each pair, the mark of the genuine article.
• The short ingredient list - pork, bacon, salt, garlic and pepper, and nothing else.
• The light smoking - a brief smoke before pasteurising, not a hard cure.
• The protected name - the geographical indication secured in 2015 after a long dispute.

When to go

Year round; it is standard fare in mountain huts and inns. It is boiled rather than fried and served with mustard, horseradish and bread. Winter is when it appears most on menus.

Honest expectations

A great deal of sausage sold as Carniolan is not the protected product and the difference is real. It should be simmered, not boiled hard, or the casing splits. Portions in huts are often a single pair with bread.

Nearby

It is served across the country, and mountain huts are the classic setting.