Õhtulehe sausage taste test: which sausages passed the blind test of 15 tasters?

Õhtulehe conducted a major sausage taste test in which 15 people cooked and tasted sausages from different manufacturers under blind test conditions. The test revealed the main shortcomings: sausages were either too fatty, too dry, or too mild. The results have particular practical value ahead of Midsummer's Day.

Õhtulehe conducted a comprehensive sausage taste test to identify the strengths and weaknesses of grilling sausages sold in Estonian shops. The blind test involved 15 tasters, who were second-year culinary students from Avara and cooking instructor Diane Sarapuu-Kelder.

Five shops, multiple manufacturers

To include sausages from as many manufacturers as possible in the test, the organisers visited five major supermarkets. In addition to the latest products, some established market players were included. An important condition was that all products had at least two days remaining until their final sell-by date.

The results largely reflect the taste preferences of the younger generation, as the majority of the tasters were students. The sausages were cooked and evaluated according to blind test principles, meaning the tasters did not know which manufacturer's sausage they were tasting.

Fat, dryness and mildness, the main shortcomings

During the test, three main problems emerged: some sausages turned out to be too fatty, others too dry, and a third group left too mild an impression in terms of flavour. Such results suggest that the sausage landscape in Estonia is diverse and that a unified quality standard is hard to find.

The tasters' assessments confirmed that the real truth can only be discovered by trying it yourself, inviting friends over, firing up the grill and cooking sausages yourself. Midsummer's Day is just the right time for it.