Lebanon Bologna Is Very Different From The American Kind You Know And Love

Lebanon is a Middle Eastern country that comprises a narrow strip of land that borders Syria and Israel. It has a robust culture with beautiful architecture, a rich history, and sublime Middle Eastern cuisine. If you scrutinize the food, you find an abundance of dishes made with poultry, seafood, lamb, goat, whole grains, vegetables, and more. However, you will not find Lebanon bologna on that list. That is because the tasty sweet and sour meat didn't originate in the Middle East. Its birthplace is in Pennsylvania — specifically Lebanon County.

While bologna is made from a mix of ground meats, including anything from pork to turkey, authentic Lebanon bologna is made primarily of beef. While this helps create the distinction, the difference between bologna and Lebanon bologna goes much deeper. For instance, while the meat for bologna is finely ground and packed into a casing for cooking, Lebanon bologna is cured and smoked with a distinct blend of salt, spices, and sugar to give it a unique flavor.

The quickest way to learn the difference between traditional bologna and Lebanon bologna is to eat a slice. To simplify, traditional bologna is rather similar to the flavor of a hot dog. In fact, the U.S. Department of Agriculture puts hot dogs and bologna in the same category. Taste-wise, however, Lebanon bologna is much more like salami. It has a sharper, stronger, and often tangier flavor profile that is beguilingly sweet with smokey overtones.

While the two bolognas share many similar ingredients, there are two key aspects that give Lebanon bologna its distinct flavor. First, the blend of spices, salt, and sugar is different from traditional bologna, and the recipe that gives each brand its unique taste is often kept secret. Second, the smoking and curing process is much closer to making salami than sausage. In fact, the main reason Lebanon bologna is not called Lebanon salami is because salami is air-dried, not smoked.