The Biggest Secret in Sausages

In 1956, Fred Voll, a Master Sausage Maker, and his wife Kathe moved to Madison from Schweinfurt, Bavaria. Fred worked for Red Owl for awhile and then decided that he wanted to be free to make his sausages in his own way. He bought some land near Madison, Wisconsin and opened the first Bavaria chalet in 1961.

His family recipes from the Old World and dedication to quality produced German bratwurst, knackwurst, nurnbergs, weisswurst, schnitzel, and many other authentic German specialties that would make Sergeant Schultz proud.

The second generation of wurstmachers, Fred and Käthe's daughter and son-in-law, Judy Voll-Cottrell and Steve Cottrell, are carrying on the tradition, bringing with them a new perspective and new ideas. One thing, however, has never changed. All their recipes are still mixed by hand using traditional spices and authentic seasonings. Judy was quick to point out, "We still stay to the strict quality we started with: no fillers, no additives, no MSG. We are still natural hickory smoked, everything is the same. The product is as lean as it was. He (Fred, who is retired but still actively involved) doesn't change his recipes for anybody."

Sausage is the house specialty but Bavaria sausage is about so much more. Filling the cases along with the sausages is an impressive collection of liverwursts, salamis, schinken (ham), and sandwich and specialty meats. Complementing all that is a nice selection of imported and domestic cheeses, including Cheddars aged by Bavaria Sausage up to ten years. A perfect example of their commitment to authentic products is their Black Forest hams. Judy says, "We're the only one in the United States that makes the true Schwarzwald Schinken. It takes four months of smoking, starting with a 24-pound ham."

As if that weren't enough, a recent visit to their store yielded a culinary treasure trove. In addition to their meats, I was able to peruse shelves of baked goods, pretzels (both hard and soft), cabbages ands krauts, candy from gummy bears to marzipan to liquor-filled chocolates, curry ketchups, mustards, spaetzle, preserves, spices, soups, and much more. Especially intriguing is their ready-made frozen selections for those who want a good German meal at home but don't have the time to prepare it themselves. Try the sauerbraten; you owe it to yourself.

You can get your German food one of three ways. You stroll into their retail store for the total experience, phone or fax your order in, or visit their easy, comprehensive website. Unlike other mail order or online stores, Bavaria sausage only charges you the actual cost of shipping. They'll pick the best method to ensure you get your order in good shape.

Bavaria's bread and butter for many years was wholesale business. They were, and continue to be, a prime supplier for many restaurants, ball parks, grocery stores, and private labels for other retail chains. However, in recent years there has been a shift to Internet and mail order sales. Judy thinks this is in large part due to Wisconsinites who have moved away but want a taste of home as well as visitors to the state who were hooked and now need a fix of Badger State cuisine. For you hunters out there, Bavaria sausage processes wild game, a service they've offered for over 50 years. They accept all kinds of wild game including deer, elk, bear, antelope, wild boar, mule deer, caribou, and moose. They are a sausage kitchen so they will not butcher your game and accept only clean, lean, de-fatted meat with no bones. What they do with that meat is as varied as it is delicious. They can turn your meat into five different kinds of summer sausage, double smoked wheel sausage, eight different brats, ring bologna, wieners, breakfast sausage, liver sausage, and landjager. If none of that appeals, you can also have it ground or canned for future use.

If fish or fowl is more your thing, Bavaria sausage will let your game rest in a mild brine for around five-six days to keep them moist and then smoke them to perfection. They freeze your game to preserve moisture and flavor. Best of all, the turnaround time is only 7 to 10 days. As with any truly great establishment, it's the people who work there that really make the difference. The Bavaria Sausage staff is knowledgeable, friendly, and very helpful. "We're big into customer service," explains Judy, "I don't hesitate if I get an email from someone who has a question or had a problem with shipping to call someone on Sunday or at night and they're shocked that a person is actually calling them." That kind of desire to take care of the customer carries over to everything Bavaria Sausage does. You don't have to be from Berlin or Heidelberg to appreciate and use the more than 1000 items that Bavaria Sausage has to offer. They give the experienced German food aficionado a valuable resource and the others the chance to get their feet wet in a varied and flavorful cuisine. Either way, you're in for a major treat. As the Germans say, "Guten Appetit!"

If you go: Bavaria Sausage, Inc. For more information contact Bavaria Sausage, Inc. at BavariaSausage.com. The store is located at 6317 Nesbitt Road, Madison, WI 53719. Store hours: Mon. - Fri. 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. and Sat. 8 a.m. - 1 p.m.