Grill the sausages and onions until they are golden brown. Take a slice of white bread, place the sausage diagonally and top with the onion. Crease. Garnish to taste.
Now if only the business of democracy were that simple.
Every Election Day in Australia, the smoky aroma of sizzling hot dogs fills the air near polling stations, as barbecue stalls cater to a beloved tradition that raises funds for schools , church or local community group.
“Democratic sausages,” as they were known, made the mandatory trip to the polling place like a chore and like a block party.
Election Day barbecues have been around longer than most can remember, but “democratic sausage” as a phrase first appeared in 2012 and has been successful in the federal election. in 2016, based on Australian National Dictionary Centre.
The Center says the term’s popularity that year was fueled in part by a notorious spoof – when the opposition leader, Bill Shorten of the Labor Party, bit into one from the side, like he was eating corn on the cob. (“Sausage makes it difficult for Labor,” writes The Guardian. “Voters across Australia have been largely stunned,” commented The Sydney Morning Herald.
“That is definitely wrong,” said Annette Tyler, a co-creator of the site Democracysausage.orgthe company has been mapping hot dog availability at thousands of polling stations since 2012. “We are very inclusive, however you like your sausage, with onions or without onions, but eat one Such a sausage, from the middle of a piece of bread, is one of the strangest things I have seen. ”
Ms. Tyler said: “To avoid any confusion, the right way is to try to look for either end.
“It’s not a complicated art,” she added. “You don’t have dinner with the queen.”
Tyler, 38, said she loves the sense of community that the barbecue brings. During a by-election in her home state of Western Australia, she and other volunteers behind the site sampled five hot dogs in four hours, she recalls.
As the constituency has diversified, the offerings have increased as well, with more stalls offering vegetarian or halal options, even exotic ones costing up to AU$8. (Inflation is a key issue on voters’ minds this election.)
