Four of the best: Sausages

Sausages in red wine. Photo / NZ Listener

It's nearly time for this year's round of the Devro New Zealand Sausage Competition, but in the meantime these are the judge's best of the best.

1. Italian Casalinga Pork Sausage
Ashby's Fine Meats & Deli. Available online (in the smallgoods section).

Winner of the 2011 Supreme award, people's choice and international spicy category.

Italian Casalinga sausage made using the finest Murrellen pork, mildly spiced with fennel and parsley and they taste delicious, spicy and rich. The Italian Casalinga sausage beat more than 460 other sausages and had the judges fighting for seconds.

2. Hot Hungarian sausage
Peter Timbs Meats. Available online.

Winner international bratwursts and boerwors category.

A hot, spicy sausage known by the locals as Hot Hungos. It has excellent flavour and balance. The taste combinations are harmonious and combine well on the palate.

3. Beef Sausage
Ellerslie Meats, 128D Main Highway, Ellerslie

Winner beef sausage category.

A sausage with a delicious meaty aroma and a rich beefy flavour. The whole family will enjoy this sausage -it pays to look for quality.

4. Black Pudding
Greerton Quality Meats, 1305 Cameron Road, Greerton, Tauranga

Winner of the frankfurters and rounds category.

Excellent flavour and balance; combination of flavours was harmonious and combined well on the palate. Pleasant aftertaste, overall an excellent black pudding.