There are only three months left in this year, and the mornings and evenings are chilly. How are you spending your time?
 
I think many of you are hearing the word casing for the first time.
This is a simple explanation, but please bear with me for just a little while.
 
A casing is a coating used during meat processing, and to give an easy-to-understand analogy, it is the outer skin that is stuffed with raw materials such as sausages and hams.There are two types of casings: artificial casings and natural casings. There are different types.
 
Artificial casings are made of inedible vinylidene chloride, cellulose, and edible collagen made from natural proteins, and are widely used for thick sausages and hams.
 
Natural casing is also called natural intestine and uses animal intestines. There are sheep intestines, pig intestines, cow intestines, horse intestines, etc., but in Japan, sheep intestines and pig intestines seem to make up the majority, and are mainly used for sausages.
 
Sausage made with natural intestines may have a slightly irregular shape, but it has excellent breathability and elasticity, so it adheres well to meat. Furthermore, high-quality protein fibers, which are the main components of natural intestines, solidify with heat, creating the unique chewy texture and flavor.
 
When you see processed products at a store, you may discover something new by picking up the product and looking at what kind of casing is used for it.
 
 
Ham Kobo Kumagaya