Svit Miasa farm — Transcarpathian sausages, Zhukovo

A sausage maker from Zhukovo

Svit Miasa ("World of Meat") is a farm enterprise from the village of Zhukovo near Mukachevo that calls itself the leader in Transcarpathian dry-cured and cold-smoked meats. The plant in Zhukovo was built in 2011, and in just over a decade the company has grown into a large family business certified to the international FSSC 22000 food-safety standard. It is listed in the craft-producer catalogue of the Zakarpattia Regional Administration's Tourism and Resorts Department.

Svit Miasa's pride is its full cycle: the farm grows its own grain, makes feed, raises poultry and processes the meat. Part of the plant's energy comes from its own solar station and a cogeneration unit.

Why look for these sausages

Svit Miasa is an industrial producer rather than a visitor attraction: there are no factory tours for visitors and no regular tastings. Still, for a traveller it is one of the easiest ways to take the taste of Zakarpattia home. The products are sold in shops across the region, in branded stores (including in Uzhhorod) and in supermarket chains, so you can look for them in the first big shop in Mukachevo or Uzhhorod. The free hotline will tell you where the nearest branded store is and what's in stock.

The highlight is the dry-cured sausage, which travels well — easy to take on a Carpathian hike or bring home as a gift.

What to try and buy

• "Zakarpatski Kovbasy" ("Transcarpathian Sausages") — a premium brand of dry-cured sausages made to local recipes;
• the Italian line — Italian-style cured delicacies;
• cold-smoked snack sausages and sliced platters, dried meat chips;
• the main range of more than 300 products: cooked and semi-smoked sausages, frankfurters and wieners, hams, smoked meats, ready-to-cook products, grilling sausages.

The raw materials vary — pork, beef, chicken, turkey, mutton and even horse meat.

Dry-cured paprika sausage is one of Zakarpattia's calling cards, shaped by centuries alongside Hungarian cuisine. It is traditionally air-dried and generously seasoned with sweet and hot paprika, and a platter of sausage, shovdar ham and salo is served with local wine. Svit Miasa's sausages are an industrial continuation of that home tradition.

A tip for travellers: buy dry-cured sausage as a whole stick rather than sliced — it keeps longer without a fridge. Serve it with fresh bread, pickled vegetables and a glass of dry Transcarpathian wine.

Practical information

• Production address: 1A Myru St, Zhukovo, Mukachevo district (no tours).
• Getting there: Zhukovo lies a few kilometres north-west of Mukachevo, towards Uzhhorod; easiest by car. It is simpler to buy the products in shops in Mukachevo and Uzhhorod.
• Phones: +38 099 237 88 63, +38 050 317 84 16, free hotline 0 800 300 309; e-mail [email protected].
• Website: svitmyasa.com — product catalogue; Facebook svit.myasa.
• Store hours and prices: check by phone.

Website and social media: svitmyasa.com · facebook.com

Photos: svitmyasa.com.