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Andouille Sausage
Not surprisingly, the winner hails from Louisiana—birthplace of this spicy sausage.
Top Pick
WinnerJacob's World Famous Andouille
Straight from Louisiana, our mail-order winner was the smokiest and spiciest in the lineup, with a burgundy tint. Tasters also preferred the sausage’s chewy, “coarser” texture, which comes from cubing the pork instead of grinding it.
Where to Buy: cajunsausage.com
Price at Time of Testing: $8.30 per pound
Straight from Louisiana, our mail-order winner was the smokiest and spiciest in the lineup, with a burgundy tint. Tasters also preferred the sausage’s chewy, “coarser” texture, which comes from cubing the pork instead of grinding it.
Where to Buy: cajunsausage.com
Price at Time of Testing: $8.30 per pound
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What You Need to Know
Traditional andouille (pronounced an-DOO-ee) sausage from Louisiana is made from ground pork, salt, garlic, and seasoned with plenty of black pepper, then slowly smoked over pecan wood and sugarcane for up to 14 hours. Used in a wide range of Louisiana dishes, such as gumbo, jambalaya, and red beans and rice, it bolsters any dish with intense smoky, spicy, earthy flavor. We tasted four brands, looking for the right combination of smokiness and heat with a traditionally chewy but dry texture. Not surprisingly, a sausage straight from Louisiana won the day.
Everything We Tested
Recommended
WinnerJacob's World Famous Andouille
Straight from Louisiana, our mail-order winner was the smokiest and spiciest in the lineup, with a burgundy tint. Tasters also preferred the sausage’s chewy, “coarser” texture, which comes from cubing the pork instead of grinding it.
Where to Buy: cajunsausage.com
Price at Time of Testing: $8.30 per pound
Straight from Louisiana, our mail-order winner was the smokiest and spiciest in the lineup, with a burgundy tint. Tasters also preferred the sausage’s chewy, “coarser” texture, which comes from cubing the pork instead of grinding it.
Where to Buy: cajunsausage.com
Price at Time of Testing: $8.30 per pound
Wellshire Andouille Sausage
Available from Whole Foods, this brand held its own in the heat department. Tasters found it “hot ’n’ spicy” and “complex” with a nicely tender texture—“not too dry or crumbly.”
Price at Time of Testing: $6.64 per pound
Available from Whole Foods, this brand held its own in the heat department. Tasters found it “hot ’n’ spicy” and “complex” with a nicely tender texture—“not too dry or crumbly.”
Price at Time of Testing: $6.64 per pound
Recommended with Reservations
Chef Paul Prudhomme's Hot Andouille
As one taster put it, “mushy and bland—an andouille weakling.” Others concurred that this mail-order sausage from Louisiana lacked heat, smoke, and spiciness.
Price at Time of Testing: $5.50 per pound
As one taster put it, “mushy and bland—an andouille weakling.” Others concurred that this mail-order sausage from Louisiana lacked heat, smoke, and spiciness.
Price at Time of Testing: $5.50 per pound
Bruce Aidells Cajun Style Andouille Sausage
Tasters described this supermarket sausage as “vegetal and weak,” with an off “dried herb flavor” and very little smokiness.
Price at Time of Testing: $7.37 per pound
Tasters described this supermarket sausage as “vegetal and weak,” with an off “dried herb flavor” and very little smokiness.
Price at Time of Testing: $7.37 per pound
Reviews You Can Trust
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See Why.