What a bunch of baloney

Bologna in the US is often derided as low quality “mystery meat” and looked down upon by food lovers. However, the origins of this meat date back centuries and its close relative and likely inspiration, mortadella, is highly regarded. The Daily Meal brings us this fact plus many more in a deep dive into this humble food.

Like mortadella, bologna is made from finely ground meat with added fat and spices. Unlike mortadella, which is studded with large pieces of fat and often pistachios, bologna is homogenous. This is not because of consumer preference or even cost – it is because bologna is classified as a frankfurter (hot dog) and the regulations require that all ingredients must be “reduced to minute particles.” While there are many styles of bologna, one of the most common types is literally an oversize hot dog cut into thin slices.

Another way that bologna differs from mortadella is that it can contain several different animal meats, including chicken, pork, beef, and turkey depending on the type. While most bologna contains a combination of some of these, a few high-end producers stick with a single meat to create a more refined product. Although many people think that bologna contains large amount of offal, by law producers must disclose those ingredients on the label.

While the ubiquitous Oscar Meyer bologna may be the most familiar to consumers, there are several different varieties. Two of these, both likely originating in Pennsylvania, are ring bologna and Lebanon bologna. Where I grew up in North Dakota, ring bologna was also popular and each small town grocery store had its own spin on the product, varying the type of meat and the spices. It is one of the few foods I look forward to eating from my youth.