Gourmet sausages are a great way of adding extra oomph to the meals you enjoy at home. For those who are unaccustomed to eating game or other 'exotic' meats, sausages can also be a great introduction. Some are available at your local grocery store, but try butcher shops or internet mail order sources for a greater selection.

In particular, mail order sources - which usually ship your order right to your doorstep overnight - are becoming a fabulous resource for those wishing to expand their palate with gourmet sausages and other specialty meats.

Gourmet sausages come in many varieties - some are traditional beef or pork sausages, with a variety of flavors, mild and spicy and everything in between! There are also chicken or turkey sausages for those who prefer not to minimize red meat, and though these are non-traditional sausage meats, they can be used very successfully. Some turkey or chicken sausages are indistinguishable from pork sausages, because of the variety of flavorings that are used.

For those interested in trying game meats such as venison or bison, gourmet sausages are a great way to introduce it. Again, because of the flavorings used in sausages, the distinctive taste of the meat itself is somewhat obscured and modified - but not completely. In particular, sausages made from bison or buffalo are excellent - drier and less fatty than pork sausages, they have a great texture and flavor.

Gourmet sausages are a higher-end item today, though still certainly affordable. In the olden days, however, sausages were the poor man's meat. Under the feudal system in Europe, the local noblemen would lay claim to the best cuts of meat. Left with mere scraps, the peasants made the best of it, stuffing the meat into natural casings and adding flavorful spices.

Often, the sausages were smoked or cured so that they would be preserved as a valuable source of protein throughout the winter. Necessity is the mother of invention, but in the opinion of many, the traditional peasant sausages (and today's gourmet versions) are even more delicious than the 'good cuts'!