Chef Jayson McCarter from the New Hampshire Food Bank brought together an all-star cast of tasters including:

Chef John Knorr
Chef Paul Morrison
Chef Bradley Labarre, CEC
Chef Bryan Galvin
Chef Jeff Bacon, CEC
Chef Brian Sliva
Chef Nikki
Chef Matt Provencher

We began by sampling the Mustards provided to us from the National Mustard Museum of Middleton, Wisconsin…these were some of their World Champions and we could taste why! Next, we dived into the heritage of each of the Sausage varieties provided to us from Usinger’s of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. We found the traditional methods of preparation for each and revved up the stove!

First and foremost it was important to taste the Sausage all on its own before adding a condiment…it truly was love at first bite!

What we learned in our process was important: while flavor is very subjective from one Sausage eater to the next…the science in balancing fat, heat, acid and salt is fairly universal and gives a good starting point for your taste buds. While you don’t necessarily need to have a full shelf of good quality Mustards in your fridge to enjoy your Sausage with…a door pocket with a nice variety of 6-8 Mustards will liven up your pallet!

Also remember that Food is something to be celebrated. Our sampling adventure was certainly a culinary celebration and we hope this guide will help make your own celebrations even better!

Beef Frankfurters + Yellow

Ours had a natural casing, garlic and smoke. When you find a gem like we did it’s important to give it the respectable condiment it deserves…Yellow, Deli Brown and Whole Grain all finished well but Yellow pulled ahead for the lead.

Beef Salami with Garlic + Sweet Hot

This semi-dried summer Sausage really goes down easy. A perfect pairing with cheese, our whole judging panel was surprised to see how well a sweet hot Mustard exhilarated the senses and brought out all this smoked chub had to offer.

Beef Summer Sausage + Herb (Dill) or Garlic or Fruit

Classic and clean, your backyard guests will insist you make it tradition. A Mustard mild enough for the kids and complex enough for the adults was dificult to nail down so we chose THREE! Herb (Dill), Garlic and Fruit Mustard all had something great to talk about (which is what you want everybody doing at your Backyard BBQ!)

Bockwurst + Horseradish

Veal and pork play well in this natural cased beauty speckled with fresh herbs and gently steamed. You can’t find a better tasting delivery vehicle for getting horseradish Mustard into your mouth. Keep it simple…let the flavors sing!

Bratwurst + Sweet Mild

If you can’t find yourself in Madison, Wisconsin over the Memorial Day weekend to take part in the world's largest Bratwurst Festival…have no worries! Grilled and on a bun, this Sausage is sure to please with its bright flavors which are typically gained from a little lemon zest. While you can take many directions with toppings ranging from sauerkraut to tomato sauce with onions and peppers…our choice was served up best with a Sweet Mild Mustard. Not too overpowering with sugar, this Mustard really enhanced all those flavors we just love about Bratwurst without covering them up.

Cajun Brats +Sweet Maple

These pork beauties linger on your taste buds long enough to remind you of that last visit you made to New Orleans. We found an exotic Mustard that let the heat shine through and make you want to endure a second or third. This exotic Mustard had a sweet side with the addition of Maple syrup and we found that all the spicier varieties of Sausage benefited from a little sweetness.

Italian + Medium Hot Pepper

Pork, Fat and Fennel…what could go wrong? Well, you might go wrong with a horseradish mustard on this easy to find variety. We found a medium hot pepper Mustard to be just the right fit. After all… Italians like it a little spicy (or so we’ve heard!).

Kielbasa + Herb (Dill)

Course ground meat and smoky flavors from Poland are a delicious pairing in this case, but it’s easy to over do yourself and feel a bit stuffed. We found that a veggie herb Mustard (in this case was a dill variety) lightened the load a bit and helped cleanse the pallet so you don’t end up with the meat sweats. Deli Brown Mustard also took the stage here…sometimes you just can’t beat the classics.

Knackwurst + Dijon

Short and stumpy, these German hog casings are stuffed with veal, pork and garlic and have a powerful punch of seasonings. Many Mustards sing well on this stage, but the main act from France, “Dijon” was a show stopper in our books.

Linguica + Sweet Mild

Portugal deserves a gold star for this Calabrian pepper smoked sausage. While it’s a common ingredient in many dishes, it can hold its own on a charcuterie board with a Mustard that is of the mildly sweet category.

Milwaukee Braunschweiger Liver + Hot Pepper

You can be like the masses and enjoy this smoked pork liver sausage hot or cold with mayo and butter or the forbidden condiment (Ketchup)...but we are quite sure you will 􀄦nd the magic of a classic hot pepper Mustard a winning topper.

Ring Bologna + Honey

This is not your average b-o-l-o-g-n-a! And while a classic yellow brings you back to your childhood… this Pennsylvania Dutch treat derves a more sophisticated shmear that we found in a Honey Mustard.

Smoked Bratwurst + Maple Bacon

Take your brat experience to new levels with this smoked version. Maple Bacon Mustard say what? Here, take my money...

Smoked Chorizo + Yellow

This hot latino treat comes in cured and not cured versions dictating if further cooking is necessary, but WOW…pork fat has never tasted so good! We took several rounds on this one and with such a bold smokey flavor profile we felt it went best with a drizzle of Yellow Mustard. And while the other spicy links did good with sweeter varieties…the vinegar zing in the yellow Mustard really shined here. The results will surprise you!

Smoked Polish Sausage + Garlic

What do you do when you have this course ground, juicy garlic flavored treat? Pair it with a garlic Mustard! You might not get too many kisses afterwards, but if you were concerned about that… perhaps you should be reading “Sausage for lovers”.

Wieners + Yellow

A classic! Similar to the Beef Frankfurters we sampled, but with a bit less garlic, these wieners give a lot of latitude for sampling a range of not-soclassic Mustards, but Yellow Mustard really comes out of its shell when served up a good steamed wiener.

Weisswurst + Herb or Fruit

These fresh white vittles are primarily pork back bacon and veal and we found best served up with an herb or fruit Mustard. Tradition says you should eat these out of their skins, and before the church bells ring at noon…so, get on with it already!