Mandarin Monday is a recurring series aimed at enhancing your Chinese language skills by presenting enjoyable and practical phrases and characters.
With the tickets for Sausage Fest 2025 now available, we decided to explore the realm of Chinese sausages. In Mandarin, the basic term for sausage is 香肠 xiāngcháng, which translates directly to "fragrant intestines" (sounds appetizing, doesn't it?). However, there are numerous regional variations to discover. From the sweet and smoky Cantonese lap cheong to the spicy and garlicky Hunan sausage, there's much to sample.
Cantonese Lap Cheong 广式腊肠 Guǎngshì Làcháng is the most recognized type, created from pork blended with sugar, soy sauce, rice wine, and salt. It has a mild sweetness and a firm, dense texture.
Liver Sausage 膶肠 Rùncháng is a version of Cantonese lap cheong, usually prepared using duck liver, although pork liver can also be utilized, producing a richer, more robust flavor.
Sichuan Spicy Sausage 川味香肠 Chuānwèi Xiāngcháng is seasoned with Sichuan peppercorns, chili, and garlic, resulting in a spicy, numbing sensation. It is often smoked for added complexity and is frequently included in stir-fries and rice dishes.
Harbin Red Sausage 哈尔滨红肠 Hā'ěrbīn Hóngcháng is often abbreviated to 红肠 hóngcháng (red sausage) and reflects Russian culinary influence in northeastern China. It's made from coarsely minced pork combined with garlic, salt, and spices, then smoked for a unique aroma. Unlike the sausages from southern China, Harbin sausage has a savory, slightly tangy flavor without sweetness. It is usually grilled, pan-fried, or enjoyed cold as a snack.
Hunan Sausage 湖南腊肠 Húnán Làcháng is saltier, smokier, and spicier compared to its Cantonese equivalent. Made with fatty pork, chili, and garlic, it offers a rich and bold flavor profile.
Yunnan Xuanwei Sausage 宣威火腿肠 Xuānwēi Huǒtuǐcháng is crafted using the renowned xuanwei ham, providing a rich umami flavor and is popular in Yunnan cuisine, often utilized in soups, stews, or eaten alone.
Duck Blood Sausage 鸭血大肠 Yāxuè Dàcháng is favored in Jiangsu and Zhejiang cuisine, created by filling pig intestines with duck blood and glutinous rice. It has a tender, springy texture and absorbs flavors well when simmered in soups or stews. A famous dish using this sausage is Nanjing duck blood soup (鸭血粉丝汤 yāxuè fěnsī tāng).
Guan Chang 贯肠 Guàncháng is a beloved street food in Beijing that traces its origins back to the Ming dynasty. Traditionally, it consisted of a mixture of starch and minced meat stuffed into pig intestines, but today it mainly contains starch, red yeast rice, and spices, shaped into long, red sausages. Usually boiled and then cut into cubes or slices for frying.
Glutinous Rice Sausage 糯米肠 Nuòmǐ Cháng is a white sausage made by stuffing glutinous rice and seasonings into a casing and steaming or boiling it. Some variations, particularly in certain Chinese cultures, include blood as a binding agent. It’s especially popular in Taiwan and Guangdong.
Taiwanese Sausage 台式香肠 Táishì Xiāngcháng is sweeter and juicier than Cantonese sausage, often grilled or pan-fried and accompanied by raw garlic cloves for an extra kick.
Teochew Sausage 潮州腊肠 Cháozhōu Làcháng is characterized by its strong five-spice flavor, commonly used in braised dishes or Teochew-style clay pot rice.
Have you sampled any of these Chinese sausages? Which one is your favorite? Share your thoughts in the comments!
READ: Early Bird Tickets Now Available for Sausage Fest 2025
Images: Canva
With tickets for Sausage Fest 2025 now available for purchase, we decided to explore the realm of Chinese sausages.