Rare sausages. [Photo/hangzhou.com.cn]

As temperatures drop, the delightful aroma of freshly-made sausages permeates the air at the Qianjiangyuan Farmer's Market. At a highly-anticipated seasonal stall renowned for its traditional handmade sausages, customers eagerly gather once again to relish the unique offerings.

Established in 2008 by Yu Saihe, the stall introduced a distinctive concept – on-the-spot stuffing of sausages. With winter settling in, locals are seizing the opportunity to engage in the age-old tradition of crafting sausages, a prelude to the Chinese New Year. Yu assures her customers that, weather permitting, the sausages will be perfectly dried.

The sausage recipe remains unchanged, incorporating fresh pork, a secret seasoning of salt, sugar, monosodium glutamate, and homemade sorghum wine. Meticulously stuffed sausages bask in the sun for two to three days, followed by an additional two weeks of air-drying in a cool area before becoming ready for consumption.

While the ingredients may seem simple, Yu emphasizes that the exact proportions are a trade secret. This year's prices reflect a decrease of five yuan ($0.7) across all categories, thanks to a drop in the local pork price.

Available in plain and spicy flavors on the market's second floor, Hangzhou locals seem to favor the non-spicy variety. For those particular about pork quality, Yu encourages customers to bring their own pork. A 20-yuan per kilogram processing fee covers seasoning and labor.

Yu prepares sausages. [Photo/hangzhou.com.cn]