Loukanka

Loukanka (lukanka) is a traditional Bulgarian dry-cured sausage made from minced pork and beef (sometimes veal) seasoned with cumin, black pepper, garlic and salt, then stuffed into casings and pressed during drying into its characteristic flat, salami-like form. Fermentation by lactic-acid bacteria and slow drying over weeks develop its tangy flavour, firm texture and deep red colour. Like other dry-cured sausages, it relies on curing salts (nitrite/nitrate), controlled fermentation and drying (falling pH and water activity), and strict hygiene for safety — suppressing Salmonella, E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus; the finished sausage is shelf-stable when properly dried.