Tiny Sausages for Drinks

In this modern era, I briefly entertained the idea of titling this blog post "Young Gentlemen," but I promptly realized the potential implications and decided against it. The truth is, in my own family and perhaps in several other Australian households, "cocktail frankfurts" have commonly been referred to as "Little Boys." The reason behind this, I believe, requires no further explanation.

Cocktail frankfurts, as you may know, are the abbreviated rendition of a saveloy. It is worth mentioning that the phrase "fair suck of the saveloy" is also frequently utilized in Australia. Even our previous Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, was known to employ this expression. We truly are an unusual nation, wouldn't you agree?

Saveloys can manifest in various forms, such as "hot dogs," "dagwood dogs," and "pluto pups." In America, they are likely deep-fried as well. All of the aforementioned options are "cooked variations" of the saveloy, which, to the best of my knowledge, can also be consumed in its raw state. Or at least, that's what I believed until my visit to the supermarket earlier today.

Yes, this morning, when I ventured to the supermarket and requested "half a kilo of cocktail frankfurts," my gaze fell upon the deli shelf and, for the very first time, I noticed a sign accompanying both the cocktail frankfurts and saveloys, stating that they must be cooked before consumption. I was taken aback by this sign, as I have been consuming both saveloys and cocktail frankfurts in their natural state for the majority of my life. I have eaten them cooked as well, but I was never aware of the necessity to cook them until today.

Naturally, I turned to the internet and asked the question, "do cocktail frankfurts need to be cooked?" As I discovered, there is a diverse range of opinions...

There is no requirement to cook cocktail franks, as they are akin to most cold meats that are ready to be consumed as is. However, with franks, it is preferable to enjoy them heated, perhaps with a brief immersion in hot water that has not reached boiling point for approximately two minutes.

I used to consume them raw on a regular basis. However, they do taste better when heated with a generous serving of delectable tomato sauce.

Cheerios (I reside in QLD :)) can be savored in their raw state without any apparent health concerns... I used to devour a dozen raw at a time when I was a young child.

Although they can be consumed cold (often served as finger food at gatherings), Cheerios (QLD) and the longer franks typically used in hot dogs should be cooked.

So there you have it... the general consensus is that they boast an enhanced flavor when cooked, but it is permissible to consume them raw (which I have been doing for over four decades).