Chinese sausage - translation help

[Guusj]

In the workbook of New Chinese Practical Reader at page 36 there is the following word of which i cannot find a good translation: 火腿肠 huo3 tui3 chang2. I found huo3 tui3 = ham and chang2 = intestines. I suppose here the skin of the intestines is intended.

What is the good English translation of this word ?

[djwebb2004]

The answer is "sausage".

Sausages are either called 香肠 or 火腿 The red type of cheapo sausages they sell on the streets are usually called huotui. Don't forget a lot of the differences between food terms relates to a culture. Europeans might know what spam, ham, sausages, brawn, haslet and bacon etc are but to come up with exact terms for things that are not in the culture is a bit artifiial. 花椒 胡椒 辣椒 and a few more - I am always a bit stuck when asked what the "English" for huajiao is - supposedly Sichuan pepper but I am not sure how many people in England would be exactly sure what that was and how it differed from pepper. 对联 in English are "antithetical couplets" according to the dictionary - but the best translation is red poster thingies that hang down either side of the door during the Spring festival...

Chinese don't have as detailed a sausage culture as places like Germany.

[againstwind]

I fortunately find that there is a 火腿肠 in my fridge. And its translation was just printed on the cover , that is Ham Sausage.

But according to my experience, this kind of ham sausage is probably not made from hams, but pork that we don't know they are from which part of pigs. Besides, another main component is fecula which is usually less than 10%.

So I guess Chinese sausage should be another thing —— bacon sausage, which is usually popular in winter.

[gato]

we don't know they are from which part of pigs. Besides, another main component is fecula which is usually less than 10%.

Do we want to know what "fecula" is?

[Guusj]

Thank you very much.

[trien27]

I know nobody wants to know what it is, but for those who want to know or don't know Latin,

fecula = look here: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/fecula

[heifeng]

I fortunately find that there is a 火腿肠 in my fridge. And its translation was just printed on the cover , that is Ham Sausage.

But according to my experience, this kind of ham sausage is probably not made from hams, but pork that we don't know they are from which part of pigs.

Any meat that is not getting pulled of the bone where it originally was attached is questionable to me....there is a reason it's not presentable in it's original form.

Not to make this sausage question even nastier, but be careful whenever you see English on food labeling. I would never just trust the translation, or even the Chinese ingredients listed on packaging for that matter. I think of the English as just part of the decoration and the fact that there is a foreign language on there to make the product appear legit. Pulling from some of my random China experiences: Usually the Chinese guy doing the product packaging design has no clue what the accurate English is suppose to be unless someone who actually knows what the correct translation should be gives him it or reviews the final packaging. (How likely do we think this is?) Then he'll probably complain that the English is too long and messes up his design, and then not want to fix it, and no one else really cares if he does because they don't read the English anyway. Ok, end of venting.

Now go ahead and enjoy your meal.

[roddy]

Yeah - basically think of the cheapest supermarket ham, then add some extra sawdust and water, squeeze it into sausage shape and you have a 火腿肠. Kids love 'em and you get them in cheap food sometimes - maybe as an ingredient in fried noodles. You can also add them to say a 鸡蛋灌饼 (hmmmm, haven't had one of those for ages . . .) for an extra pittance.

[venture160]

at the HIT campus market they would always put 火腿肠 into the 春卷儿，although i always had them take it out and put in extra vegies... mmm so good.

Anyone else here an abosolute fiend for 东北 food?

[imron]

Anyone else here an abosolute fiend for 东北 food?

Oh yeah.... gotta love that 土豆顿牛肉！

[willylin]

it is "土豆炖牛肉"

[imron]

I blame the IME