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Grill Stall · Smoked Sausage

Isterband

Isterband — street food from Västra Götaland, Sweden
Photo: Carl Svensson / Wikimedia Commons · Public domain

Isterband gets its name from ister, the pork fat mixed into the filling, which is what makes the sausage split and glisten the moment it hits the grill.

A coarse, slightly sour-tasting sausage of pork, beef, and barley grain is smoked, then grilled or pan-fried and served with mashed potatoes, a cream or mustard sauce, and pickled beets. It's classic market and fairground food in Västergötland and Halland.

Why it's made this way: The barley filler and smoking process were originally ways to stretch scarce meat and preserve sausage through the year on rural farms.
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Part of World of Street Food — 690 dishes from 118 countries. Something wrong here? Tell us in the comments below. Photo credits.