How Sausage is Made

A book that explores how sausage is made and uncovers sustainable solutions for the future.

One of the first designed food products, sausage provided the perfect solution to stock up on protein-rich meals. For thousands of years, humans used this meat product to get by over the winter or times of scarcity. In her book “The Sausage of the Future,” designer and researcher Carolien Niebling explores not only how sausage is made, but how this food staple may transform in the near future to become a sustainable alternative to meat. Developed in in a collaboration with a chef of molecular gastronomy, a master butcher, and a graphic designer, the book takes a look at the manufacturing process. Chapters also explore the science of how sausages are made, focusing on flavors, preservation, and moisture levels.

In the book, readers can discover this process, maybe for the first time. They can also see different types of ingredients and sausages. Gorgeous photos that resemble abstract artworks and more documentary like images accompany the text. However, the book goes beyond the practical aspects of sausage making and looks to the future. New ingredients like nuts, legumes, and even insects offer a sustainable solution to a predicted meat scarcity. At the same time, these eco-friendly alternatives also allow consumers to lower their meat consumption and diversify their diet.

Published by Lars Müller Publishers and edited by ECAL/École cantonale d’art de Lausanne, The Sausage of the Future by Carolien Niebling features contributions by Herman ter Weele and Gabriel Serero. The paperback has 156 pages with 174 illustrations and photos. Photographs© Jonas Marguet, Emile Barret, and Noortje Knulst.