Merguez facts for kids
Merguez
|
|
| Alternative names | مرقاز |
|---|---|
| Type | Sausage |
| Region or state | Maghreb |
| Associated national cuisine | |
| Invented | 12th century |
| Main ingredients | Lamb or beef |
| Ingredients generally used | Cumin and chili pepper or harissa |
Merguez (/mɛərˈɡɛz/, from Kabyle: amergaz, lit. 'Like man' Am argaz) is a red, spicy mutton- or beef-based fresh sausage in Maghrebi cuisine. Since the late 20th century, it has been popular in France and Great Britain due to the large Algerian populations.
Merguez is a sausage made with uncooked lamb, beef, or a mixture stuffed into a lamb-intestine casing. It is heavily spiced with cumin and chili pepper or harissa, which give it its characteristic piquancy and red color, as well as other spices such as sumac, fennel and garlic.
Merguez is usually eaten grilled. While not in traditional maghrebi couscous, it is often used in Couscous royal in France. It is also eaten in sandwiches and with french fries.
Etymology
There are several spellings in Arabic (مِركس mirkas, pl. مراكس marākis; مِركاس mirkās, مَركس markas and مِرقاز mirqāz). The hesitation between k and q probably reflects the pronunciation /ɡ/, for which there is no standard Arabic spelling; further confusing matters is that in some maghrebi dialects, Arabic qāf is sometimes pronounced as /ɡ/, as an allophone of /q/. It is first attested in the 12th century, as mirkās or merkās.
The Arabic terminology for the food is also the likely origin of the Spanish names of the foodstuffs morcon and morcilla.
See also
In Spanish: Merguez para niños
