Hand-Crafted Kielbasa Worth The Wait At Parma, OH's State Meats

Many business owners would give their left foot for a product that had people lining up for hours to get their hands on. In that enviable position this time of year is George Salo, co-owner, with his mother, Maria, of State Meats in Parma.

This family-owned business in the heart of Ukrainian Village has been churning out scratch-made Ukrainian sausages, deli meats, pierogi, and soups and salads, such as their finely-chopped potato salad with peas, carrots, and ham for forty years strong. But what has customers lining up out the door this time of year is the shop's famous kielbasa. It's an integral component of a traditional Ukrainian Easter dinner, as well as of the "blessings baskets" that many local parishioners exchange after Easter mass.

"Everybody's got kielbasy on their table," reports Salo, who sets up a bounce house and other activities to occupy his customers during the wait. The shop is well-stocked in other Easter table necessities as well, such as house-smoked bacon, cottage hams, marinated herring, and butter lambs.

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