G.J. Honour Family Butcher

A chipolata is a thin fresh pork sausage stuffed into sheep casing, about as thick as a finger and much slimmer than a British banger. French butchers sell them by the coil for the grill and the frying pan; in Britain they turn up at breakfast and, wrapped in streaky bacon, on almost every Christmas dinner plate as pigs in blankets. The thin casing cooks in minutes and browns all round before the inside can dry out.

Cumberland sausage is a coarse pork sausage from Cumberland, England. Coarsely ground pork combines with black pepper, white pepper, and other seasonings. The sausage often appears in a long, coiled shape rather than individual links. People typically grill or pan-fry this flavorful sausage, serving it with mashed potatoes and onion gravy.

Merguez is a fiery red sausage from North Africa, made from lamb (or a mix of lamb and beef), seasoned with harissa, cumin, coriander, fennel, and garlic. The deep red color comes from the harissa paste and sometimes additional paprika or chili. Thin-skinned and heavily spiced, it is grilled fast over high heat until charred on the outside and juicy within. Born on the street grills of Tunisia and Algeria, merguez crossed the Mediterranean with North African migration and became one of France's most beloved sausages, a fixture of Parisian markets, Lyon boucheries, and summer barbecues from Marseille to Brussels.

Toulouse sausage, a coarse-ground pork sausage, hails from the city of Toulouse in southwestern France. Its simple recipe highlights fresh pork and seasonings. Cooks often use it in hearty dishes like cassoulet. The sausage offers a savory, unsmoked flavor.