Saumagen

Saumagen ([ˈzaʊ̯maːɡŋ̩], "sow's stomach") is a German dish popular in the Palatinate. The dish is similar to a sausage in that it consists of a stuffed casing; however, the stomach itself is integral to the dish. The stomach is not as thin as a typical sausage casing (intestines or artificial casing) but rather is meat-like, being a strong muscular organ. When the dish is finished by being pan-fried or roasted in the oven, it becomes crisp.

Saumagen stuffing consists of potatoes and pork, usually spiced with onions, marjoram, nutmeg and white pepper; various recipes also mention cloves, coriander, thyme, garlic, bay leaf, cardamom, basil, caraway, allspice, and parsley. Sometimes beef is also used; a variant popular in autumn replaces some or all of the potatoes with chestnuts. The larger ingredients are diced finely. After that, the saumagen is cooked in hot water, slightly below boiling temperature to prevent rupture of the stomach. It is either served directly with sauerkraut and mashed potatoes or stored in the refrigerator for later use. To warm it again, the saumagen is cut into slices approximately , which are then fried in an open pan. The typical accompanying drink in the wine region of the Palatinate is usually a dry white wine, and in the Palatinate forest to the west, preferably a local beer.

Helmut Kohl, the German chancellor from 1982 to 1998, loved saumagen and had it served to visiting heads of state and government, including Margaret Thatcher, Mikhail Gorbachev, Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton. Kohl came from the Palatinate and his enthusiasm for the very local dish brought it to a wider public. Landau hosts a Saumagen-competition, the Internationale Pfälzer Saumagen-Wettbewerb. Unique recipes include e.g. fish or deer stuffing. The first laureates, Imke Bruns and Iris Wittmann are now members of the jury.

In the Pennsylvania Dutch region of the United States, the dish, known locally as seimaage, hogmal, stuffed hog maw ("maw" is an old word for stomach), simply pig stomach, or “Dutch goose” (by those who are not Pennsylvania Dutch) is popular during the harvest season. Traditionally, pig stomach, not turkey, was the main course for Thanksgiving among Pennsylvania Dutch families. This tradition stems from the Old World, with the bulk of Pennsylvania Dutch settlers originating from the Palatinate. Unlike the German version, the dish is typically baked for several hours, rather than boiled.