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devon1


noun a large, mild-flavoured, precooked sausage, usually sliced thinly and eaten cold. Compare beef Belgium, Belgium sausage, Byron sausage, Empire sausage, fritz, German sausage, luncheon sausage, polony, pork German, Strasburg, wheel meat, Windsor sausage.

Contributor's comments: 'Devon' is also used in Melbourne, where I grew up. It is not the same sort of sausage as 'strasburg'. Devon is the mildest possible sausage, with a very bland texture. Strasburg has identifiable lumps of meat (and whatever) in it. Both terms are in use in Southern Tablelands/ACT, for different types of sausage.

Editor's comments: Can anyone else enlighten us on the difference between devon and strasburg?

Contributor's comments: I just wanted to let you know that the term 'devon' is not widespread across NSW. I spent my primary school years in Broken Hill (part of NSW) but never heard of 'devon' until we moved to Orange. We always called it 'fritz' in Broken Hill and I hope that is still true so please change your distribution map.

Contributor's comments: Since moving to SA from NSW, we've discovered that Broken Hill is actually part of SA! They share the same time zone, and Broken Hill's weather is always part of SA weather forecasts. It's not surprising that devon is called fritz in Broken Hill.

Contributor's comments: Cold sausage meat was always devon where I grew up in the Lismore area in the 50's and 60's.

Contributor's comments: Growing up in Lismore, we used the phrase "Byron Sausage" almost exclusively to describe Devon/Windsor/Whatever.

Contributor's comments: This word is also used in Hobart.

Contributor's comments: I grew up with devon in NSW but find it as polony in WA.

Contributor's comments: We had Devon at Forster in NSW. Luncheon had bits of pea and carrot in it.

Contributor's comments: Broken Hill and as far east as Wilcannia tends to follow the language of South Australia more than that of NSW. Historically, the area has always been closer to SA. Adelaide being the major source of supply of just about all commodities. Port Pirie was developed to smelt the output from Broken Hill and the produce tended to flow down the Murray for Wilcannia (on the riverboats).

Contributor's comments: Suggest Broken Hill use of Fritz is due to links with SA where fritz is common. I believe that this is known as Luncheon in Tasmania.

Contributor's comments: The word devon is also used in Tasmania for the processed meat referred to.

Contributor's comments: I suspect fritz as a term for devon is more a South Australian thing - Broken Hill having pretty strong connections to Adelaide. It's presumably something to do with the German community there. In Dubbo we'd never heard of fritz until a guy who had lived in Adelaide (as well as another part of NSW) moved to town. I distinctly remember his saying that fritz was what they called devon there.

Contributor's comments: I grew up in Sydney, where it was called devon, To me it has always had connotations of cheap meat that you only ever used to get it at school canteens!! That's how I remember it most.

Contributor's comments: In Tas we were fed Belgium sausage.

Contributor's comments: When I was growing up in Newcastle NSW we always called it devon.

Contributor's comments: In Sydney, "devon" is a processed, pale pink and bland meat supplied in a large cylindrical roll to the shopkeeper. It is sliced thinly. Kids here often eat it with tomato sauce in a sandwich. Strassbourg is a spicier processed meat which is a medium pink colour. It has darker pink flecks and fat flecks, and is more like a mild salami in flavour. Devon looks like a smaller version of mortadella, but without the large fatty pieces (and a milder, soapier taste, similar to frankfurts, I guess).

Contributor's comments: In Newcastle we ate 'empire'. It was not until about 1980 that 'devon' came into usage.

Contributor's comments: I grew up on 'devon' in NSW, had it as 'fritz' in SA, and then as 'polony' in WA.

Contributor's comments: Never having been schooled in Broken Hill myself, I can confirm that the word "Devon" has long been used to describe an otherwise non-descript sausage mix served (by the name "Devon") in every major brand of supermarket along the coast of NSW ever since I was a young child (I am C1963). I remember long days at Newcastle Beach as a 5-7 year old sustained by "Devon" and tomato sauce sandwiches and I can still buy it in any supermarket by the name - Devon!

Contributor's comments: When I was growing up in Brisbane we always called it luncheon sausage, but I notice that now in the supermarket it is known as devon.

Contributor's comments: Beef Devon was common term for processed sausage meat in Gippsland in the 50s and 60s. It is pale bland bland and very finely textured. Strasbourg is much spicier and coarser in texture.

Contributor's comments: Growing up in Sydney it was always devon. In Perth it is polony.

Contributor's comments: in Newcastle when I was a kid it was called empire.

Contributor's comments: I think that what people in NSW call devon is similar to what Victorians would call luncheon loaf or meat.

Contributor's comments: Always called it devon in Melb in 1960s. It was't considered "cheap", in fact it was rather a treat to have a devon and sauce sandwich for lunch. My parents told me that it used to be called german sausage but the name was changed during one of the World Wars because of anti-German prejudice.

Contributor's comments: Prepared luncheon meat from deli, usually sliced - a favourite with children: "In Sydney I would order only devon from my local deli."

devon2


refers the the bald spot at the back of the head of a man with thinning hair. With the right skin colour the bald patch can resemble a piece of devon: Wow! that guy has an awesome devon!