Being very proudly half-Portuguese myself of ethnic background, it’s fitting that I do a thorough job of covering one of Hawaii’s favorite ethnic foods, the Portuguese Sausage. Hawaii’s manufacturers mostly stick by a similar recipe that is unique to the islands, setting ours apart from those found on the mainland… or possibly even in Portugal.
The most popular way to eat it is for breakfast as simply Portuguese Sausage, Eggs and Rice. Comfort food at its best. Most Hawaii restaurants that serve breakfast have Portuguese sausage as an option to bacon, breakfast links or ham, including national chains such as McDonald’s and iHop.
What inspired me to have a Portuguese Sausage shootout is the wide selection of locally-made brands and varieties that fill our supermarket shelves today, commonly taking up to 4 feet of meat department refrigerator shelf space.
So let the battle begin!…
The players (top to bottom):
- Redondo’s Lisboa Portuguese Brand Sausage, 10 oz., $1.99 (sale price) from Don Quijote.
Ingredients: Pork, water, salt, flavorings, sugar, sodium phosphate, monosodium glutamate, oleo-resin of parika, sodiumerythorbate, sodium nitrite, packed in collagen casing. - Uncle Louie’s Fully Cooked Mild Portuguese Brand Sausage Stick, package of 3 at 48 oz. (3 lbs.) total, $10 from Costco.
Ingredients: Pork, water, salt, non-fat dry milk, paprika, vinegar, garlic, chili pepper, spice, sweetener (sucralose), sodium nitrite. - Gouvea’s Portuguese Brand Sausage (Linguica). 10 oz., $1.99 from Don Quijote.
Ingredients: Pork, water, salt, spices, garlic, paprika, sodium erythorbate, sodium nitrite. - Rego’s Purity of Hawaii Mild Portuguese Brand Sausage. 10 oz., $1.99 from Marukai Market Place.
Ingredients: Pork, water, nonfat dry milk, salt, vinegar, sugar, flavorings, paprika, sodium phosphate, sodium erythorbate, sodium nitrite, oleoresin of paprika, packed in collagen casing. - Aloha Brand Portuguese Brand Sausage Hawaiian Style (distributed by Gouvea’s Inc.). 5 oz., $1.29 from Don Quijote.
Ingredients: Pork, water, salt, dextrose, spices, hydrolyzed wheat protien, paprika, sodium phosphate, garlic, spice extractives, natural flavorings, sodium erythorbate, sodium nitrite and collagen casing. - Pacific Sausage Mild Portuguese Brand Sausage (Linguica), 5 oz., 99 cents from Don Quijote.
Ingredients: Pork, water, salt, vinegar, sugar, flavoring, spices, garlic, paprika, sodium phosphate, sodium erythorbate, dextrose, sodium nitrite, sodium citrate. - Hawaiian Sausage Company Mild Portuguese Brand Sausage (distributed by Rego’s Purity Food Co., Inc.), 5 oz., 99 cents from Marukai Market Place.
Ingredients: Pork, water, nonfat dry milk, salt, vinegar, flavorings, paprika, sodium phosphate, smoke flavoring, sodium erythorbate, sodium nitrite, oleoresin of paprika, packed in collagen casing. - Gouvea’s Portuguese Brand Sausage Made with Pork and Chicken, 5 oz., $1.29 from Don Quijote.
Ingredients: Pork, mechanically separated chicken, water, salt, spices, garlic, paprika, sodium erythorbate, sodium nitrite and collagen casing. - Redondo’s Mo’ono Sweet Hot Portuguese Brand Sausage, 5 oz., 99 cents from Marukai Market Place.
Ingredients: Pork, water, soy sauce, sugar, salt, flavorings, sodium phosphate, monosodium glutamate, oleoresin of paprika, sodium erythorbate, sodium nitrite, packed in collagen casing. - Frank’s Foods Portuguese Brand Sausage (from Hilo), 12 oz., $2.49 (on sale) from Ward Marukai.
Ingredients: Pork, beef, dextrose, salt, soy protein concentrate, paprika, sodium phosphate, flavorings, hydrolyzed soy protein, garlic powder, msg, smoke flavoring, sodium erythorbate, sodium nitrite. - Kukui Sausage Co, Inc. Portuguese Brand Sausage, 8 oz., $1.99 (on sale) from Ward Marukai..
Ingredients: Pork, water, salt, sugar, flavorings, paprika, sodium phosphate, sodium nitrite, chili powder, sodium erythorbate.
With (now) 11 players on the “field”, I had to be careful in properly identifying each one for an accurate comparison. While they’re each slightly varied in color and size, for the most part, they all share the same DNA, so labeling was the only way to do it…
As you can see, they all have distinguishable marbeling; some more pronounced than others…
The newest player on the field is Uncle Louie’s, made in Kahului, Maui and available in a bulk pack of 3 HUGE (I mean HUGE) 1 pound sausages at Costco. On a side note to Costco, they also sell Redondo’s Portuguese Sausage in preformed “Spam Musubi” rectangular shapes. How cool is that!
Portuguese Sausage tastes best pan-fried for serving…
I cut 4 slices from each brand, about 3/8″ thick at a bias (diagonally) to provide more surface area.
The only way to give this shootout a fare shake was to accompany the taste test with its true companion, eggs and rice!…
Post edit additions, top to bottom (back to front): Ume Musubi, pickled cucumber, takuan (palate buffers), Frank’s Foods (Hilo), Redondo’s and Kukui brand Portuguese Sausage (uncooked left and cooked right)
Yes, call me crazy. I felt that way attempting to properly plate, sort and label this spread. But tell me that doesn’t look good! Notice I added a couple slices of Takuan, a Japanese picked turnip. I learned this from the mama sans at Tropic Fish and Vegetable market, who makes their Portuguese Sausage, eggs and rice breakfast bento with this. It adds balance, harmony and helps buffer the palate. Try it with Takuan. The best!
The results!..
- Frank’s Foods Portuguese Brand Sausage:
Pork, beefy, smoky and tight; not too fatty or greasy. You haven’t had local style Portuguese Sausage until you’ve had Franks!
- Rego’s Purity of Hawaii Mild Portuguese Brand Sausage:
Slightly sweet twang; mild spices; porky; soft casing; well-balanced overall.
- Hawaiian Sausage Company Mild Portuguese Brand Sausage (distributed by Rego’s Purity Food Co., Inc.):
Smokey!, mildly spicy, porky & moist. Even with the added smoke component, this one was also very well balanced and packed with flavor.
- Redondo’s Mo’ono Sweet Hot Portuguese Brand Sausage:
Tender; porky; moist; hot but spice influence is mild.
- Gouvea’s Portuguese Brand Sausage (Linguica):
Spicy, somewhat salty, semi-beefy, semi-porky (are those real terms?), pronounced marbeling, overall great flavor.
- Redondo’s Lisboa Portuguese Brand Sausage:
Redondo’s is great, but Gouvea’s slightly beefy profile gives it just a little more character than Redondo’s. Still, this is good, and even in 6th place, it’s something I’ll put in the shopping cart on an impulse buy.
- Pacific Sausage Mild Portuguese Brand Sausage (Linguica)
This reminds me of a stepped-down Purity in flavor profile. Stepped down enough to rank about here.
- Uncle Louie’s Fully Cooked Mild Portuguese Brand Sausage Stick:
Significant Paprika flavor; pronounced marbeling gave it a really “fatty” character, for better or worse; somewhat salty; doesn’t taste porky, more beefy.
- Aloha Brand Portuguese Brand Sausage Hawaiian Style (distributed by Gouvea’s Inc.):
More zesty; paprika too noticeable, yet still good; doesn’t taste like “traditional” Portuguease sausage.
- Kukui Sausage Co, Inc. Portuguese Brand Sausage:
Decent, but lacks character. It’ s just OK, still slightly better than the last place contender as follows.
- Gouvea’s Portuguese Brand Sausage Made with Pork and Chicken:
Subtle flavor, not much marbleization.
Post edit: Frank’s Foods from Hilo is my favorite! The beef and the smoke flavoring, combined with the texture, which is tight and not to fatty make this one stand out. And allthough there’s beef in it, which is out of the norm from the rest of the pack, it still screams loud and proud, “I’m the best Portuguese Sausage!”
Rego’s Purity of Hawaii Mild Portuguese Brand Sausage was my overall favorite. With that, it’s still a close contender for first place, but I’ll hand that to Franks. The Purity won a blind taste test by four members in our household. I wouldn’t kick any one of these brands off the table, but if I could only choose one, Franks would be first, then Rego’s Purity. As for Purity, flavorful balance is the best way to describe it. It also caramelized nicely due its sugar component. My next choice also comes from Rego’s with their Hawaiian Sausage Company variety. The added smokiness really serves it well, and goes GREAT with those sunny-side up eggs. Excellent.
Whew. Let me tell you, that was alot of work. It wasn’t easy to try that much Portuguese Sausage in one sitting. After that, I didn’t eat for the rest of the day. That’s how full I was! The spices really give an aftertaste doesn’t go away for a long time. lol But it’s all good.
Next time you go grocery shopping, pick up a few brands of Portuguese Sausage and compare them yourself. You might find nuances in each that I couldn’t find, or a flavor preference that best suits you. Then after that, go on a diet for the rest of the week. I’m going vegetarian for the next 5 days after this. My blood is still boiling. lol
P.S.
Gouvea also makes this “Hot Dog”…
Gouvea’s Portuguese Brand Hot Dogs
It may look like a hot dog on the outside, but bite into it and you know what? It’s pretty much a miniature Portuguese Sausage! Same paprika, vinegar, and garlic flavor, sans the chili pepper. Very porky, including the marbelized fat in it. It’s really ono!
Gouvea’s Portuguese Brand Hot Dog, boiled and sliced in half
Next time I gotta’ try it in a hot dog bun. Maybe with just ketchup and chopped onions.
I also tried Redondo’s Arabiki Sausage…
Redondo’s ARABIKI course gournd sausage made with pork (Mo’ono selection), $2.99 from Marukai.
Per the instructions on the package, I boiled them for about 3 minutes…
They’re sort small, but they really pack flavor! Smokey, slightly sweet and savory in a shoyu-kind-of way, and moist inside. But the most important feature of these little babies is that SNAPPY CRUNCH of the casing. Nice! I’m not sure how I’d incorporate this in a recipe, but just alone as a pupu works for me. Pick some up and try.. I bet you’ll like it.
Just like I was always told and taught – Rego’s Purity is the best.
whoa….man, your portugese sausage breakdown was beyond cool!
looks ono brah….i suprised no moa redondo’s in da survey…….da buggah ono!
Ho brah, try check numba 7…… what dat say???
My kids LOVE Arabiki. They have them in ramen, in mac n cheese, on the side with eggs or muffins or banana bread . . . basically, there is no meal they wouldn’t be happy to have Arabiki with.
Thanks for doing this taste test, I don’t have a personal favorite so this will help the next time I’m at the market. I do like portugese sausage that Liliha Bakery serves, but I can never get them to tell me what brand it is. The closest i’ve gotten is, “it’s from the factory”.
Hey, don’t see the Redondo’s Portuguese Brand Sausage Hot or Mild, 12 oz. size. in the white, red and blue packaging.
It’s what us guys from Hawaii can get from the commissary here in Okinawa. The only one! My Okinawan friends love the HOT one, grilled on a hibachi and then sliced.
Wish I could get portuguese sausage like this on the mainland! But I have to settle for packing my suitcase with frozen ones every time I go back. Next time I’ll make sure it’s regos purity (I think that’s the one I usually get anyway).
I wanted to let you know how much fun I have looking at your blog. I LOVE the food photos, it makes me SOOO Hungry. Reminds me of my childhood in Hawaii – and I miss “porogi” sausage soo much…even though I now live where Spam is made, I hardly ever buy it, much less eat it.
The next time I get back to the islands, I am going to have to go to Zippy’s and try their Chili Moco which I have never had the pleasure of having.
Thanks so much for all the Aloha!
Being half Portuguese myself and a lover of Portuguese saugage – or linguica as we called it when I was growing up – I enjoyed this post. I’m on the Big Island and haven’t seen the Mo’ Ono style from Redondo’s, but will look for it (all in the name of taste testing, of course!). Our standby is the Redondo’s 4 pack from Costco…
Kelly and Nate, you’re right! I inadvertently forgot to buy and include Redondo’s standard mild or hot Portuguese Sausage in the contest. My bad! This goes to show just how many varieties are on our shelves.. can’t keep track!
I’ll retrofit the standard Redondo’s P. Sausage into the mix here and grade its flavor in comparison to the others accordingly. Soon.
Thanks everyone for visiting and commenting. I had a feeling this PS shootout would be a fun entry.
wow …this is such a great entry, pomai!!! i really loved reading your critic on each one …thanks for doing this. i agree with your rating ….i like your top 3 too. i was disappointed with the Costso one …uncle louie’s. i await your next entry …i love your blog !!
Good one Pomai!!!! Enjoyed it. On your next round, check out Hilo’s Frank’s Food Portuguese Sausage. Curious how that one stands up to the rest. Hope they still make them with chucks of meat inside that kind of falls apart when cooking.
hi pomai, went to the supermarket and passed the sausage section and immediately thought of you ..haha!
in the midwest i find kielbasa to be the best substitute–in chili and Portuguese bean soup at least. i just found out that linguica is the “real” name so maybe i will try that too though.
I agree with Lance. You gotta try the Hilo sausages and compare them to the stuff you got on Oahu. Frank’s Foods and Miko gotta be included in the test. You can get them at Marukai once in a great great while. I wanna know how they stack up to your taste buds.
Excellent job! I moved to Hawaii 5 years ago and always wondered how the different brands stacked up to each other. I usually just buy whatever is on sale at Daiei. (Don Quijote) I’ve certainly have had the Purtiy brand before. Now I’ll make sure it’s what I get. Keep up the good work on your blog!
I buy the Purity brand because it is the only one at the Hilo KTA store that does not have MSG. Do you know of any other brands without MSG?
Kory, I just bought one of Frank’s brand Portuguese Sausage (mild), which was a new item at Marukai here in Honolulu. I’ll retrofit that into the comparison later this week. I also need to add Redondo’s brand into the mix. I can’t believe I forgot that…my bad!
Also from Hilo, I have some Kulana brand blood sausage, which my mom (originally from Hilo) insists is the best.
HawaiiVacationsGift, according to the ingredients listings, the only brand here that has MSG is Redondo’s Mo’ono Sweet Hot Portuguese Brand Sausage. The most common chemical ingredient among all them is Sodium Nitrite, which is a meat preservative and color fixative.
Thanks everyone for visiting!
Great comparison, I think either 5 or 6 is Pacific? Both are identical. Was wondering how Pacific compares, I don’t care for it myself. Good article, agree with earlier comments, Frank’s Foods of Hilo has always been our favorite.
Just got back from visiting my daughter in Anchorage and was happy to find Redondo Portuguese Sausage at Sagaya’s market. I had to buy an extra suitcase to bring it back to Oklahoma.
Miko is my favorite brand but have not been able to find it in any of the stores on Oahu whenever I go home.
<<>>
Duh, yeah. I buy them by the case when ever I’m home in Hilo. Kulana Foods is right below my parents house. I love that. The only thing better than their blood sausage is if you can get them home made. Enjoy your eating but be sure not to take a blood test any time soon.
Nice arrangement and mouth watering photos. Glad to hear that you got a chance to try Frank’s Food Portuguese Sausage and loved it. Now, you’ve got to try Miko Brand. Curious which you like better. Really enjoying your posts.
I live all the way in Fayetteville North Carolina and I am wanting some Portuguese sausage sooooooooooooooooooooooooooo bad. How do I get some delivered here
I grew up on Oahu and I just got back after visiting. I cleared out the shelves at Walmart of the Purity Brand Hawaiian Sausage. It truly is ONO! The best around and for only 97 cents. We all went to Liliha Bakery for breakfast every morning but Mel was in New York. We’ve been eating Rego’s Purity Portuguese Sausage for years. If anyone ever goes to Waikiki, make sure you stop for a shave ice at the Waiola Shave Ice Stand. Mahalo.
Marialucia…not sure if you goin’ get this msg. since you posted in Aug. but if you type in Portuguese Sausage in your search engine box you’ll find a number of different companies that can ship to the mainland. One site is called 1st Luau or something like that…kind of expensive considering can get ‘em fo’ cheap back home, but if you really craving like me I’m sure it’s worth the money. For me personally, I just wait till my ‘ohana come visit and tell ‘em fo’ pack some in da cooler and bring ‘em up. HA HA! Fayetteville, huh? Not sure if get asian market where you at, but I know in Tucson there’s this place called 7th Street Fishmarket and they sell the Redondo’s brand portuguese sausage and poi (bag kine). So if you ever there you can always go there and pick it up…I think was like $.99 last July (that was the last time I was there, I live in Corpus Christi, TX).
I grew up in Ewa Beach, Oahu. After over 27 years in da Army, I settled down and re-rooted in Mesquite, Texas. I miss da local food soooooooooo bad. I compensate with my love of cooking. For the most part, I have no problem duplicating some of the dishes I miss the most. But I cannot find Portuguese sausage here. The closest is a Cajun Sausage called “Andoulle” (not sure of the spelling), but is not da same. Was home for a visit in summa of 06, and my two Auntys loaded me up on some Portuguese sausage and Redondo’s “Red” Franks. I ate Portuguese sausage, rice & eggs, chilli & frank plate for two weeks. I have a meat grinder, and a sausage stuffer, and want to make my own sausage. I have found a few recipes to try. Do you know of a good broke da mouth recipe to use?
Aloha,
Pingback: I’m Truly Speechless - A Portuguese Sausage Comparison Article « Hey Josh - Who Cares?
I like any kine podogee sausage, but after eating the one from Ah Fook’s store on Maui, I gotta say dat das da best I ever tasted…period! When you go Maui, check them out down Kahului side across Young Bros.in the mall next to Burger King. You’ll wonder how you ever did without them.
Great article. Never tried Frank’s, I’ll have to track some down.
Also, Arabiki in S&B Golden Curry over rice is probably my favorite comfort food of all time.
Pingback: The World According to Josh » Blog Archive » I’m Truly Speechless - A Portuguese Sausage Comparison Article
I stumbled across this blog while looking for an authentic recipe for Linguica; one of the many encased meats of the motherland, to compare the ingredients with the Hawaiian version of “Portuguese Sausage” To my dismay I see that the producers do not list those proprietary flavorings that I need to accurately replicate the TRUE flavor of LINGUICA. Which is, as far as I can ascertain the, inspiration for this truly Hawaiian meat. I would suggest to the many Portuguese descendants here on the islands to either plan a trip to Lisbon or go online and order some Gaspar’s Linguica or Chourico so that you might appreciate the true and subtle flavors that have been lost over 10,000 plus miles and hundred’s of years.
I’m not trying to cast any negative light on the Island version, I find it’s flavor for the most part quite pleasant. But compared to the sausage produced by native sons in places Like New Bedford and Fall River it lacks a distinctive punch and complexity. I suppose thew same could be said of comparisons between TRUE Polish Kielbasa and the amalgum of meat, msg and artificial flavor responsible for the huge polish sausage industry in this country.
Island Portuguese style sausage is very good in it’s own right but I challenge every person that is a portagee to get ahold of some of the authentic stuff and give it a try. Of course unless you go to the north end of New Bedford to my mother in law’s portuguese butcher’s shop you will not get the real deal but there are many respectable venders in New England making fine sausages.
Bom Dia
I thank you very much for this article acclaiming Portuguese Sausage. I was introduced to it in Hawaii at the Outrigger Hotel on the Mainland (before renovations). It was delicious! It had a certain sweetness to it. When I was leaving Hawaii, I noticed a sign in Burger King fastfood restaurant for Portuguese Sausage. I was in a limo headed to the airport and therefore, could not stop.
I am not a cook and the prepared Portuguese Sausage is what I have been looking for. Are there restaurants in the United State where I can go and enjoy this food? Please post the web address or supply state/address information. I am looking for Portuguese Sausage with that Hawaiian flavor.
Thank you,
Brenda
Wow, these are delicious. I haven’t tried Portuguese sausages yet but I must say they look good. I like to taste different kinds of sausages from different places around the world. The pictures keep me hungry and drooling. We also like sausages, eggs and fried rice for breakfast here.
I too was hurting for some portguese saugage after three years in the Navy at the old Barbers Point NAS. I lived in Wipahu and it was da best. After many years I tracked down the sausage at Gaspars. Still looking for a good recipe for the kine sausage and rice like breakfast and fried noodles too. Livin here in Texas.
w/o Miko it’s no contest, but then, with Miko it’s no contest!
I must say that I have never seen so many sausages together and I’m Portuguese!!!
I never saw that recipe on any traditional Portuguese menu. Specially for breakfast. I must say that this is definitely not “traditionally Portuguese”.
It seems to me that the traditional “Linguiça” with “Ç” and Chouriço, with “Ç” too, got inside a frying pan with a couple of eggs, and voilá you got something that has nothing to do with Portugal. I must add that the eggs for breakfast are traditional in England not Portugal.
I also must add that we don’t have that many variety of sausages. Someone confused us with Germany.
Sausage (“Salsicha” in Portuguese), “Chouriço” and “Linguiça” are very different things.
If you want to know what a real “chouriço” is like, check here: http://www.fumadosdouro.pt/proddetail.php?prod=7
You can also search for “Morcela”, “Mouro”, “Farinheira”, for other traditional “enchidos”.
Cheers.
Renato, thanks for stopping by. So you live in Portugal? My father was pure Portuguese, but born and raised in Hilo.
As for having that many Portuguese sausages, the demand for it in Hawaii must be high, because it seems we’re constantly getting more brands jumping into the market. And as you see by some of the comments, folks have their favorite brands. So far as you see, my top choice was Frank’s brand from Hilo. Truly stands on top. Next favorite was Rego’s Purity brand.
Hawaii’s Portuguese sausage recipes are all pretty similar in flavor that is unique to the islands, and those who’ve tried the ones on the mainland attest to that. Especially those Hawaii expats who yearn for the local style flavor.
I LOVE portuguese sausage….haven’t had them in years, ever since I left Hawaii. Would love to know if there is a way to order them over the internet and shipped.
I’m a native of Guam…..but now residing in the East coast. I’ve been craving and looking for the sausages (portuguese, lingueisa) and no luck. Supermarkets I shop at don’t have them, I’ve inquired where can I go to find these sausages, but even at that most don’t know or ever heard of it wad-dup wit dat? lol…I’m still looking. Please send to my email given..
Pingback: Tasty Everything « Re-Percussions
Just a note to those living in the Dallas area….Kazy’s Japanese grocery store sells Miko brand portuguese ssg. Currently, it’s about $4 for an 8 oz. link. Pricey but available!
Pingback: Best Breakfast in Maui « Desperately Seeking Crab
Where in San Diego can I get the real thing?
Rob,
Check out this link…
http://shop.hawaiianfoodonline.com
They have the Frank’s brand Portuguese Sausage for sale online! It’s about double the price as it would be locally, NOT INCLUDING shipping, so that might be an issue. But still, that IS the winner of this shootout, and if you want a great representation of this delicacy, done “local style”, Frank’s brand Portuguese Sausage from the Big Island is a great choice.
Otherwise, pay a visit to the Marukai Market in San Diego. According to their website, there is one. Marukai’s mainland locations are known to carry made-in-Hawaii products. It’s a membership store (like Sam’ s Club and Costco), but you can get a 1-day visitors pass by going to the customer service counter before entering.
If they don’t have any of the Hawaii P.S. brands, surely someone working there should know where to point you to.
Did a taste testing like this back in May with Purity, Gouvea’s, Hawaiian Sausage, and Redondo’s, and the clear winner was Redondo’s. The mild and hot have a distinct flavor of herbs and spices, whereas most of the others (Gouvea’s especially) just seemed mostly salty. But maybe I’ll pick up some Purity for good measure when I head back to the mainland!
Being 100% Portuguese from Portugal I read this with great interest. I must say that when I arrived here some time ago I look upon this portuguese sausage suspiciously and at the beginning I didn’t appreciate them that much. It’s definitely not the same thing as the original but after some time I grew accustomed to it and right now there’s always some in my fridge.
Very nice blog btw.
Howzit Mark,
Looking back at my taste test results, it looks like Redondo’s placed 4th and 6th, yet I did note some favorable qualities about them.
You really gotta’ get your hands on Franks (Hilo brand) though. That one is fantastic. I almost guarantee if you hold another test and do it blind, Frank’s will place either first or second place.
Hopefully the good folks over at WOWGrinds.com will hold a “scientific” blind taste test of all the brands on the store shelves.
Hugo, thanks for dropping by. I’d love to hear a more detailed description on REAL Portuguese Linguica from Portugal, and how you compare that with the Hawaii style sausages. Do the ones in Portugal have a higher fat content? Leaner? What kind of casing? Spice differences? Shape? Size? I’ve never looked for it locally, but I’m sure there’s gotta’ be some specialty market here that carries authentic imported Portuguese Sausage from Portugal. Hey, gotta’ respect the motherland!
A few years ago, in of all places, Food Pantry in Waikiki, I found a Linguica Portuguese sausage that was made in New York. So I bought it to try it out, and I ended up not liking it at all. It leaned more towards Chorizo, with too much spices, and the ground pork in it didn’t have much flavor if its own. Just the spices. It was kinda’ weird. Then again, folks from New York might find Hawaii’s Portuguese Sausage “kinda’ weird”. Like many other foods, sausages seem to be heavily influenced by the region their from.
Hey, I just picked up some Purity sausage at Iwilei Costco, 4, twelve-ounce sausages for $7.29. I was leaning toward the Redondo’s even though it was more expensive at $8.29 for the same amount. I just thought that the Purity sausage looked a little too orange for my liking. I guess I got lucky!
Thanks very much for doing these. You are da bes’!
hmmm….i’ll be on the look-out for the frank’s foods sausage – thank’s for the work, guess i’ll stick with the purity. i found that when i slice and then cook for a little bit in the micro (wrapped in paper towel) to let out some oil, then pan fry for that pan-fried look and taste, it seems to cut down on the grease….
Thanks for all these infos. Where can I buy Portuguese sausage in the Houston area?
I live in Daytona Beach Fl. and I have had no luck in finding portuguese sausage anywhere. Can you tell me where I can find it in my area or if I can order some off line. Thank You
Simone, as mentioned in a reply previously, there’s a resource here:
http://shop.hawaiianfoodonline.com/main.sc
They have a few popular Portuguese Sausage brands from Hawaii available. Where you’ll get hit hard is the shipping costs, obviously due to the outrageous fuel prices we’re all dealing with.
So if you order, say, 3 packages of Frank’s Portuguese Sausage (highly recommended!) @ $4.99 each, after shipping ($14.99 2nd day air, plus $7 handling charge) the total price will come out to $37 ($12.33/sausage). Ouch. If that’s the case, you might wanna’ consider ordering more than 3 to reduce the shipping cost per unit.
At least the option is there if you REALLY want it.
A very well presented comparison. Unfortunately, without having the mild and medium Miko brand sausage in the lineup, you have basically omitted the absolute benchmark of great Hawaiian “Por-ta-gee” sausage.
Franks is good, really good. Miko is the best.
Dean,
I’ve never seen Miko brand (Hilo Meat Co.) Portuguese Sausage on supermarket shelves on Oahu. Believe me, I bought EVERY brand, and EVERY variety within that brand (except HOT over MILD) I could get my hands on.
I was lucky enough to have been able to get Frank’s (another Hilo brand), which was only available at Ward Farmers Market for a limited time. At least currenty, it’s no longer available there.
I still say, if none of the above were available, I’d be just as content with Purity brand, the Oahu-based runner-up.
Don’t forget to check out http://www.WOWGrinds.com, where they did a blind taste test, pitting home-made Portuguese sausages against the store-bought brands.
Hello,
My name is Jamie Pagliano and I am a producer for WE TV’s “Secret Lives of Women.” We are currently in our 4th season and one of our show topics is Dirty Jobs. We were looking for a female sausage maker to participate. I was wondering if you might know anyone that might be interested in participating. I have included some more info in regards to the show below.
Secret Lives of Women:
Kaos Entertainment is producing a third season of the WE – Women’s Entertainment Cable Television Network program, called “Secret Lives of Women.” This one-hour, multi-part series takes an up-close and very personal look at the important issues facing women today.
The “Secret Lives of Women” is presented in a documentary-style, letting women tell their stories in their own words as they share an intimate look at a week in their lives. Each episode tackles a different topic from women still breaking career barriers to women dealing with life threatening addictions – to women battling discrimination. The program will also encourage women to reach beyond their limits providing important insight into how women are managing careers and family while at the same
time, working to fulfill their own hopes and dreams.
The “Secret Lives of Women” portrays all of the women and topics in a positive way. Our main show goal is to portray our subjects accurately and to educate the viewers about this particular subject. Another bonus is that it’s a ton of fun!
By way of background, Kaos Entertainment has been producing award-winning television for over a decade. The company’s credits include some of the highest rated specials and series for U.S. Networks including FOX, SCI-FI Channel, Discovery, Travel Channel, TLC and Animal Planet.
WE – Women’s Entertainment is available in 60 million homes nationwide. For more information on Kaos Entertainment, please visit our website at www. kaosent. com.
Any help you can give me would be greatly appreciated. I look forward to hearing from you.
Jamie
I stumbled across this site as I looked for a rice recipe. The fellow church member who made it for a pot-luck meal had lived in Hawaii and married a Hawiian man. The ingredients that I’m sure of are: rice, soy sauce, chopped onion, egg, crumbled pork sausage, and another sausage that looked similiar to what you have here on this site. The rice was similiar to a fried rice with the egg, sauted onion, and the two kinds of sausage. I have looked everywhere for a recipe like this with no luck and have lost touch with the girl who introduced it to us. Can you please help me, if possible??? Thank you so much, JH
JH, it sounds like any other “local style” fried rice; that one you tried using Portuguese Sausage instead of the usual Charsiu or SPAM (luncheon meat). Being that Portuguese Sausage was used, it surely had a much more characteristic flavor imparted by the spicy Portuguese Sausage. That said, it would be critical that you get the Hawaii-made brand of Portuguese sausage in order for you to properly duplicate that recipe.
As mentioned in one of my comments above, you can by Hawaii-made Portuguese Sausage online at this site:
http://shop.hawaiianfoodonline.com/main.sc
As for Hawaii style Fried Rice recipes, you can find quite a few over at:
http://www.alohaworld.com
under RECIPES
Hope that helps!
Jaimie, sorry I came across your comment so late. I don’t know any sausage makers personally – either male or female, but I bet they do indeed exist, including at one of our factories. Look up any one of the manufacturers listed in the Portuguese Sausage shootout above and give them a call. I’m sure they’d be more than willing to help. Especially with the publicity for their company a TV show such as yours would offer! It’s kinda’ funny that you’re looking for “talent” in Hawaii, when there’s so many sausage manufacturers all across the nation. Perhaps looking for a Hawaii vacation at the same time? lol
Pingback: Travel Blog: Hawaii Trip Day 2 | Public Spark
I have moved to Texas in January 09. I have found some Hawaiian foods in Killeen on Business 190. Not sure of address, but you can map it. Called the Aloha and Talofa Store. They have portuguese sausage, lau lau, poi, hawaiian sun juices, manapua and Zippys chili too. Plenty other stuff go check them out. Iam portuguese so I need my sausage to make the podagee soup. There is also a supermarket in Killen called O’Mart. full of all kind oriental stuff. I also found Yellow fin Tuna {frozen} 2 fillets in HEB for $5.99. They also have it in O’Mart. They have Tako also. If any one have any more spots let me know.
Pomai, you never had Ah Fook’s sausages in shoot out. You must like it since you brought some back to Oahu. Since Ah Fook special make their own it gotta be good.
All this is really nice, but WHERE in the state of Alabama can I purchase Portuguese sausage so I can make some good ole Portugese bean soup!…..Thankx
In the summer and autumn of 1963, I was employed along with a lovely young lady, Anita Redondo, by a small company in San Francisco , THE TIE RACK. Eventually, Anita returned to Oahu to work in her family’s sausage factory. For several years, we stayed in contact with each other through cards and letters. I have often wondered why or how we interrupted our exchange. I would love to resume our correspondence.
Louise L. Gallone 6723 Red Haw Drive Fort Wayne, Indiana 46825
louise1938@msn.com
The best portuguese sausage is available on line at http://www.melloschourico.com. Made in Fall River Ma.
I live in calif. city of Norwalk. years ago I could buy Linguica, in the city of Artesia calif. No more. So I ask where can I find real portuguese Linguica, around me Locally, or within a 10 mile radias
I live in NW Illinois and have been a to a few oriental markets in Wisconsin and Iowa, but have not found anything close to any of the brands you have here in your taste test. So far, I’ve done trial and error on about 6 different brands of linguisa and chorizo, to no avail. If anyone can give me a push in the right direction to brands that may have the local kine taste, please reply to this or email to demottam at hot mail…mahalos!
Where can I buy Portuguese sausage in VIRGINIA AREA ?? THANKS!!
Where can I buy Portuguese sausage in the VIRGINIA area ?? thanks!!
Try http://www.thefoodloversmarket.com/ in Manassas.
Purity and Hawaiian Brand sausages can be purchased on-line at http://www.regospurity.com and at http://www.gouveas.com.
Pingback: Portuguese Sausage Fried Rice Taste Test « CAB Cooks
Pomai,
Here is my question to you, “The Great Portuguese Sausage Shootout” plus additional comparisons to Portuguese sausage and chorizo are all fantastic and informational but, there is no standard used to the real Portuguese made product.
The largest manufacture of Portuguese sausage (over 3 million pounds shipped annually each year in USA resides in Massachusetts on the mainland which is basically the standard linguica (pronounced lin-gwee-sah).
Chorizo sausage is made in Spain, France, Mexico, Uruguay, Argentina, Puerto Rico and Philippines and depending on the local area where it’s made the ingredients used will differ in spices and intensity of heat and grind of pork. Mexican chorizo is normally cooked out of the casing because it is finely ground. Portugal makes a version called “chourico” (pronounced shoor-reese) which is choice pork shoulder in chunks and very lean.
I grew up eating Portuguese sausage all my life from the largest Portuguese enclave on the mainland and to this day I order in from the mainland because Purity linguica (close to real Portuguese taste) and the green can chorizo (more Mexican than Portuguese) do not have the real Portuguese taste.
I know we live on an isolated island and work with what we have to work with but I think over the years the ture taste of the real Portuguese sausage has been lost.
Hey those sausages you listed are NOT real Portuguese. They are more close to Polish sausages. Being a Portuguese born in Hawaii, I grew up eating real Portuguese sausages — the ones made with chunks of pork and fat. Miko used to make the real ones, and they were da best kine in islands. Over the years, Miko had changed the flavor to near-Portuguese , but still far better than other sausages you listed. Like Lance said ( Jan. 2008 comment above), it is no contest with Miko. MIko is still THE Portuguese sausags in Hawaii. It is still only the real one. Jimmy the Portuguese
james, you are right, i grew up in makawao, maui in the 50s. at that time makawao and surrounding areas were portagee country. they made their own sausages to sell. the pork and fat was chunky, and they did fall out of the casing when you cooked them. amazing tasting , nothing like now. the blood sausages was so ono. i guess with the sanitation laws and the board of health, those days are long gone. by the way, i knew a james sousa growing up. their family owned a meat market in makawao.
James Souza is correct. The Portuguese sausage was very different. Loosely packed with chunks and whole pepper flakes. Would even fall apart in pan when cooked.much better. Miko and Ah Fooks kept it that way for a long while.
Do you have any do it your self recipes for por. sausage that we can make our self just like that smoked meat step by step recipe you made. ” great stuff ” if you have one with out msg would be great
Thank you
we sell all kinds of great portuguese sausage in Palm Coast, Florida and Massachusetts. Web site is http://www.acoresdistributingco.com we’d love for you to contact us. Shipping to all 50 states.