Morteau Sausage
Encyclopedia
Morteau
Morteau is a commune, in the Doubs department in the Franche-Comté region in eastern France.-Geography:This little city is situated in a widening of the Doubs river valley....
region of France (in the department of Doubs
Doubs
Doubs is a department the Franche-Comté region of eastern France named after the Doubs River.-History:As early as the 13th century, inhabitants of the northern two-thirds of Doubs spoke the Franc-Comtois language, a dialect of Langue d'Oïl. Residents of the southern third of Doubs spoke a dialect...
in Franche-Comté
Franche-Comté
Franche-Comté the former "Free County" of Burgundy, as distinct from the neighbouring Duchy, is an administrative region and a traditional province of eastern France...
). It is smoked in traditional pyramidal chimneys, called tuyés. It is a very strongly flavoured and very dense uncooked sausage.
It is produced on the plateau and in the mountains of the Jura mountains
Jura mountains
The Jura Mountains are a small mountain range located north of the Alps, separating the Rhine and Rhone rivers and forming part of the watershed of each...
in the Doubs at an altitude greater than 600 metres. The city of Morteau is at the centre of this artisanal industry.
Morteau sausage is produced using only pork from the Franche-Comté, because in this mountainous region the animals are fattened traditionally. In addition, to be permitted to use the label "Saucisse de Morteau", the sausages must be smoked for at least 48 h with sawdust from conifer and juniper
Juniper
Junipers are coniferous plants in the genus Juniperus of the cypress family Cupressaceae. Depending on taxonomic viewpoint, there are between 50-67 species of juniper, widely distributed throughout the northern hemisphere, from the Arctic, south to tropical Africa in the Old World, and to the...
within the tuyé. It is not cooked, however, as the combustion is accompanied by a strong current of air. These sausages are guaranteed by the IGP
Protected designation of origin
Protected Geographical Status is a legal framework defined in European Union law to protect the names of regional foods. Protected Designation of Origin , Protected Geographical Indication and Traditional Speciality Guaranteed are distinct regimes of geographical indications within the framework...
label, which denotes their quality, origin and method of preparation as a regional French specialty. Authentic Morteau has a metal tag as well as a small wooden stick wrapped around the end of the link.