The family earns R$25 million from sausages made in a Brazilian city colonized by Ukrainians.

Krakovia, a sausage made from the best parts of the pig, was created in the 1960s in a steakhouse in the Ukrainian-colonized city of Paraná, and has established itself as one of the most emblematic products of Prudentopolis. The main delicacy of the city with a population of more than 50,000, the sausage is the main product of Machulek Produtos Coloniais.

Founded in 1970 by businessman Nestor Macholek, the family business currently produces about 100 tons of meat per month and employs about 60 people, with average sales of R$25 million annually, in addition to maintaining Kraków as its emblematic product, the “calling card” of a range of sausages that combine tradition, flavor and regional pride.

In an interview with landDuring the Gramado International Tourism Fair (Vistoris), Mauro Macholek, one of Nestor’s four sons and one of the company’s partners, spoke about how Krakow came to be and how the new generation of the Machulek family boosted production, taking the product to supermarkets in the region, and later to the capital, Curitiba. The businessman also explained how the Krakow sausages were named.

“These sausages appeared around the 1960s, in a meat shop, a butcher shop in the city,” says Mauro. “The owner, a Ukrainian, took the best parts of the pig, for example, the leg and loin, put them in a thick casing, removed the fat and sinews and smoked them. The name of the sausage was inspired by the city of Krakow, in Poland, the birthplace of one of the first butcher shop workers.” Machulik, who was 39 years old.

Pork sausages are produced with a larger diameter than regular salami, using smoking techniques in a wood-fired oven. Made from selected meats, Cracovia is a hand-produced salami.” It is seasoned with garlic, salt and pepper and, after curing, is packaged in plastic in the form of a natural bladder and undergoes a mild smoking process.

According to the producers, Krakow mainly replaces pork, as it is a product that does not contain water added to the dough. Machulek Produtos Coloniais processes three tons of meat a month from Krakow, and to reach potential customers who do not consume pork, it has invested in diversification. One such product is Krakow Chicken.

“We produce, in addition to Krakow, another huge line of sausages, such as mixed and pure sausages, Blumenau sausages, smoked ribs, bacon, white black pudding, ham cheese, cracklings, Pororoka crackling, smoked sirloin and smoked ham. Krakow is our icing on the cake, the best product,” added Mauro Macholek.

At the beginning of this year, Krakow was officially recognized as a geographical indication of Brazil, confirming its source and traditional method of preparation. Registration as an Indication of Origin (IP) was granted by the National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI) on January 21. This recognition certifies that the product has characteristics and production methods linked to its geographical origin in Prudentopolis.

In all, the Machuliks are led by Nestor’s four sons. In addition to Mauro, there are brothers José Marcos, 47, Carlos Mateus, 46, and Nestor Luiz, 52, who opened the doors of the company, which still operates in the same place where it started in the 1970s, in the Patos Velhos area, in Prudentopolis.

*The correspondent traveled to Gramado at the invitation of Viestoris