Sausage Fest 2008!
Okay, I couldn't resist giving this post that title. ;)
A subject of recent discussion at one of the forums I frequent is the quality of sausages in New Zealand. The long and the short of it is that the Kiwis all believe that Heller's sausages are the best--and probably the best in the world.
I disagree, since they are made with at least 20% filler--wheat gluten, soya, or rice--and are artificially flavored. Their 'smoked' sausages contain only smoke flavor.
Now, I don't have a problem with anyone liking those particular sausages. Hell, they can eat the purple ones for all I care. There's no arguing matters of taste.
But what I find amazing is that Heller's brand are for all intents and purposes the only sausages you can find in the grocery stores here. Pak 'n' Save, the largest grocery store chain in Chch, with the largest square-foot area stores, have 12-foot long meat cases filled with nothing but Heller's sausages. And you'll find no other brand in their stores. Most of the other grocery stores follow suit.
I don't know if the grocery stores have exclusivity agreements with their suppliers, but that could explain why it's also nearly impossible to find Pepsi products anywhere. (Not that I care ... I haven't bought a Pepsi since I don't remember when.)
What this means is that the one company that makes hot dogs also makes bratwurst, breakfast sausages, 'Italian' sausages, chicken sausages, pork sausages, beef sausages ... so you can imagine what the quality and variety is really like. Frankly (no pun intended) they all suck in that way that all Doritos suck: fundamentally, there's nothing *wrong* with them, but don't try to fool us into thinking that different color artificial cheese makes one any different from the others.
It gives me appreciation for the way that grocery stores and the food supply chain works in the US. When you think about it, the American consumer should be faced with less choice than the NZ consumer; we should be like the future America depicted in Demolition Man, where all restaurants are Taco Bell. Instead, I can walk into Demoula's and find at least two different--and equally delicious--brands of Italian sausage. I can find any kind of hot dog I'd care to eat--or to feed to my dog, if I had one.
I don't really understand why the situation is as it is here in NZ. Perhaps they've allowed a few monopolies to go unchecked and run rampant over the consumer. Current dairy prices and the record-breaking profits of Frontera are evidence in favor of that argument. Or perhaps consumers here don't really care and they'll happily eat crap as long as it's award-winning crap.
A subject of recent discussion at one of the forums I frequent is the quality of sausages in New Zealand. The long and the short of it is that the Kiwis all believe that Heller's sausages are the best--and probably the best in the world.
I disagree, since they are made with at least 20% filler--wheat gluten, soya, or rice--and are artificially flavored. Their 'smoked' sausages contain only smoke flavor.
Now, I don't have a problem with anyone liking those particular sausages. Hell, they can eat the purple ones for all I care. There's no arguing matters of taste.
But what I find amazing is that Heller's brand are for all intents and purposes the only sausages you can find in the grocery stores here. Pak 'n' Save, the largest grocery store chain in Chch, with the largest square-foot area stores, have 12-foot long meat cases filled with nothing but Heller's sausages. And you'll find no other brand in their stores. Most of the other grocery stores follow suit.
I don't know if the grocery stores have exclusivity agreements with their suppliers, but that could explain why it's also nearly impossible to find Pepsi products anywhere. (Not that I care ... I haven't bought a Pepsi since I don't remember when.)
What this means is that the one company that makes hot dogs also makes bratwurst, breakfast sausages, 'Italian' sausages, chicken sausages, pork sausages, beef sausages ... so you can imagine what the quality and variety is really like. Frankly (no pun intended) they all suck in that way that all Doritos suck: fundamentally, there's nothing *wrong* with them, but don't try to fool us into thinking that different color artificial cheese makes one any different from the others.
It gives me appreciation for the way that grocery stores and the food supply chain works in the US. When you think about it, the American consumer should be faced with less choice than the NZ consumer; we should be like the future America depicted in Demolition Man, where all restaurants are Taco Bell. Instead, I can walk into Demoula's and find at least two different--and equally delicious--brands of Italian sausage. I can find any kind of hot dog I'd care to eat--or to feed to my dog, if I had one.
I don't really understand why the situation is as it is here in NZ. Perhaps they've allowed a few monopolies to go unchecked and run rampant over the consumer. Current dairy prices and the record-breaking profits of Frontera are evidence in favor of that argument. Or perhaps consumers here don't really care and they'll happily eat crap as long as it's award-winning crap.
posted by Jon A at
9:13 AM
4 Comments:
I dont know exactly what you mean by all this, but maybe a kiwi of german desent of sausage expeirence needs to supply NZ w/ a new variety.
Im a type of person here in America that gets very confused of to much selection, It usually takes me 5-10min to pick out what pepperridge farms goldfish I want to get my daughter, whih adds to a very lengthy shopping experience
There's no shortage of variety of sausages, just of brands.
Heller makes at least two dozen different kinds of sausages.
My chief complaint is that they *all* have fillers; none of their sausages are 100% meat. As far as I've seen, they all also contain artificial flavorings. So for example because of the fillers, they beef sausages contain artificial beef flavor.
100% meat sausages are available here, but not very widely. I like Little Boys brand, but so far I've only found 1 store--on the other side of the city, no less--that carries them. Even the butcher shops sell either Heller's sausages or their own are made with filler.
I am currently trying to educate the school my 5 year goes to as to why i am not supporting their fund-raising sausage sizzle - the person i spoke to claimed there was no difference between home kill butcher sausages and the low-cost manufactured ones and, i quote, "Mr chips" and they have to fundraise or else they can't provide things for the children.
i do not understand how any adult can give a child a sausage when they are filled with so much rubbish. why when it's our children's health at stake do people stick their head in the sand about the contents and yet teh same school promotes healthy eating - healthy eating is more than 5 a day.
why is NZ so uneducated about meat products?
why is there such a reliance on preservatives,MSG, artifical colourings and additives which leads it to be very difficult to actually buy foods without these things added?
Hellers just won the 2008 supreme too. I agree the supermarkets are poor for sausage selection. Occassionally, you'll find a good butcher or deli. A local gluten free store here in Tauranga stocks some fantastic sausages made from free-walking pork by a German guy. Think they're from Matamata.
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