Enjoying a substantial breakfast consisting of sausage, eggs, and bread is the best thing ever.
Alternatively, you could be preparing a backyard BBQ and want to impress your guests with some delicious bratwurst or knackwurst.
Read More: smoked sausage
Perhaps you’re assembling a platter of charcuterie that has a lot of salami, chorizo, and other delectables.
Either way, you may be amazed at the variety of sausages available. Because of this, we’ve created this brief guide to our top 15 sausage varieties:
Kielbasa
Thuranger
Brats
Milan
Breakfast sausage
Andouille
Chorizo
Brats
Sausages
Landjäger
Boerewors
Salami
A Longganisa
Sai Oua
Butifarra
We will explain to you what makes each unique and how you may enjoy it. But your search is done if you’re specifically looking for the several sorts of smoked sausages.
All of your favorite varieties of smoked sausages are available in our inventory, ready to be warmed up and consumed whenever it’s convenient for you. Enjoy a century of history now with our smoked meats and impress your guests or yourself!
What Sorts of Sausages Exist? Our Top 15 Picks for Sausage
Let’s examine the range of sausage possibilities offered without further ado. To help you understand and enjoy each of our favorite sausage kinds, we’ll go over their background, distinguishing features, and serving suggestions.
Kielbasa
Because of its robust flavor and versatility, kielbasa is perhaps the most well-known of all Polish sausages. In Polish, the term means “sausage.” There are a few varieties, but the most popular is a very garlicky, smoked sausage made from either pork or a blend of pig and beef.
Kielbasa is typically flavored with garlic, marjoram, and sometimes mustard seeds. It has a coarsely crushed texture and a deep, smoky flavor. Specifically, our hot kielbasa variety is quite popular.
It can be boiled, grilled, or roasted because of its extreme versatility. It tastes fantastic sliced cold on a charcuterie board or cooked into stews or casseroles. It is typically consumed with sauerkraut or potatoes. It pairs well with mustard, horseradish, or rye bread.
Thuranger
Thuringer, also known as Thüringer Rostbratwurst, is a traditional German sausage with a 600-year heritage. One of our most well-liked summer sausage kinds, so you better grab a pound or two as soon as you see it available!
These sausages are often made from pig, beef, or veal and seasoned with a blend of caraway, marjoram, garlic, and mustard seeds. They are often grilled, which results in a juicy, flavorful inside and a slightly charred outside. Their texture is subtle.
It’s guaranteed to please to have this the old-fashioned way, on a bun with mustard. But we also like it just the way it is, or with potato salad and sauerkraut. It is a German festival staple and pairs beautifully with a refreshing beer.
Brats
The short, plump sausage known as a “knackwurst” has its origins in northern Germany. Sometimes it’s written “knockwurst.” The term “knack” refers to the sound made by the sausage casing when it is bitten.
Made with pig and finely ground veal, it’s heavily seasoned with garlic. The sausage, which is often smoked, is rich and delicious with a sharp bite.
Serve it with customary German sides like sauerkraut, mustard, and pretzels. It may also be chopped and used to soups or stews.
Milan
Bologna is a large, smooth sausage that is made in the Italian city of Bologna. It is sometimes referred to as “mortadella.” There’s a major difference between the Italian and American versions: the Italian version is coarser and less flavorful. Our ring bologna is so popular because, according to our patrons, it is just like the real thing!
To produce mortadella, finely ground pork is usually mixed with olive oil, pistachios, peppercorns, or olives. It tastes mildly sweet and has a thick, creamy texture.
The Italians love it thinly sliced in sandwiches or as a component of antipasto dishes. In the US, bologna is commonly used in sandwiches in addition to being fried or added to casseroles.
Breakfast sausage
Breakfast sausage is a staple of American cuisine. It is usually prepared with pork and flavored with a blend of sage, black pepper, and thyme. It comes in links, patties, or ground sausage shapes and is often pan-fried or grilled.
The ideal way to taste breakfast sausage is to have it as part of a larger spread that includes eggs, toast, biscuits, pancakes, and maybe even some of our smoked bacon online!
Andouille
Andouille, a smoked sausage with French origins, is a staple of Louisiana’s Cajun and Creole cuisines.
It is made up of smoked pork that has been seasoned with wine, onions, garlic, and other ingredients. The American version is usually more fiery and coarse than its French cousin.
Andouille is a mainstay in dishes like jambalaya, gumbo, and red beans & rice. After being grilled or sautéed, it may also be consumed on its own or as a sandwich ingredient.
Chorizo
The heavily spiced sausage known as “chorizo” comes in a wide variety in Mexico and Spain. Spanish chorizo is frequently cured and smoked, while Mexican chorizo is fresh and must be prepared before eating.
Smoked paprika is used to give Spanish chorizo its unique, deep red color and smoky flavor. On the other hand, Mexican chorizo is spiced with chile peppers, vinegar, and garlic and has a higher level of heat. Nevertheless, both are top-notch!
Spanish chorizo is commonly served sliced at a tapas buffet or added to stews and paellas. Conversely, Mexican chorizo is typically crumbled and used to burritos, tacos, and scrambled eggs.
Brats
Bratwurst, a type of German sausage, is often made with pork and cow. This type of sausage has a long history dating back to the 14th century and is one of the most popular in Germany.
It is seasoned with a variety of spices, including as ginger, caraway, coriander, and nutmeg. The dish has a gritty texture and is often pan-fried or grilled.
Though they are not the same, it is occasionally confused with knockwurst and the two terms are used interchangeably. That seems to be a bratwurst due to its somewhat pinker hue.
We suggest serving it with mustard on a bun for a heartier supper, or grilling it exactly as is. It pairs nicely with other German meals, such as sauerkraut.
Sausages
Saucisson sec is a type of dry-cured French sausage that is typically prepared from pork, although it can also be made from duck or wild boar. It’s seasoned with garlic, black pepper, and sometimes wine or brandy. It is air-dried for many weeks to give it a strong texture and rich flavor.
It pairs nicely with bread, cheeses, and pickles and is a staple of French charcuterie. Just add wine to make a delicious appetizer for a heartier dinner.
Landjäger
Wanderers and campers often enjoy landjäger, a semi-dry sausage, as a snack due to its mobility and long shelf life.
It is prepared using red wine, sugar, fat, beef, pork, and spices. It gets its chewy texture by being regularly pressed into a rectangular shape before being dried and smoked. It may be eaten cold on its own with cheese and toast, or sliced and added to soups and stews.
Boerewors
Boerewors is a traditional South African sausage known for its distinctive spiral shape. The word “boerewors” comes from the Afrikaans words for “farmer” (boer) and “sausage” (wors).
The most common ingredients used to produce it are beef and pig, however lamb is also used infrequently. Common spices include coriander, cloves, nutmeg, and vinegar. It is usually spiral coiled and then grilled.
Boerewors is typically served with pap, a type of cornmeal porridge, or on a bun with mustard and ketchup in South Africa. The dish is typically cooked over an open flame (referred to as a “braai”).
Salami
Though salami is commonly mistaken for deli meat, it is actually a type of cured sausage from Italy. However, this is only an additional variety of sausage that has proliferated globally and transcended its origins.
The meat used to make it, usually pig, is fermented, air-dried, and heavily seasoned with wine, salt, pepper, and garlic. It tastes sour because to the fermenting process. How long it takes to mature will determine how soft or firm it is.
Thinly sliced salami is a common addition to sandwiches, charcuterie boards, and pizza toppings. It pairs well with cheeses, olives, and crusty bread.
A Longganisa
Longganisa are Spanish-inspired Filipino sausages. Like many other sausage variations, it has been adjusted to suit local tastes and ingredients. There are several geographical variations, and they all have unique flavor characteristics.
It will still be a sausage made from pigs, as sweet and garlicky as they are. Two more meats that are utilized to produce longganisa are chicken or beef. The sausage is often colored with annatto seed and can be served either way.
A favorite dish in the morning is longganisa. It’s traditional to serve it with fried eggs and garlic rice, or “longsilog,” in Spain. If pan-fried or grilled, it can also be served as a main dish.
Sai Oua
Sai oua, or northern Thai sausage, is well known for its powerful, aromatic flavors. It is a staple of the traditional Lanna cuisine of Northern Thailand.
This type of sausage is made with ground pork, red curry paste, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, and other herbs and spices. It has a spicy, fragrant flavor and a grainy texture.
Sau oua is grilled and typically served on a plate with sticky rice and crisp vegetables. It can also be served as an appetizer or snack after being sliced.
Butifarra
Ranking last on our list of the most popular sausage variants is Butifarra, a traditional sausage that has been there for a long time in Catalonia. It’s cooked with pork and seasoned with garlic, black pepper, and sometimes cinnamon.
Butifarra comes in a variety of forms, including raw (which must be cooked before eating) and cured. It has a mild flavor and a grittier texture. It pairs nicely with both grilling and pan-frying, and a typical Catalan dinner would serve it with white beans. Alternatively, cut it up and toss it into a soup, stew, or casserole.