Ever since SPAM vs Corned Beef it's been hard to come up with a food battle as good. Everything else seems trivial in comparison... Until now. Vienna Sausage, what could be more important than finding the best Vienna Sausage brand?
The battle of the Vienna Sausages!!!!
Libby's ($.99) VS Armour ($1.09). Two popular, cheap, brands of Vienna Suasage. Both of these can be found by the case very inexpensively. For how cheap they are, I'd be surprised if any prepper didn't have a few cases in their closet. But which one should you be stocking?
Can you tell the difference by looks? I couldn't. For both, it looked like someone had cut up some hot dog pieces and put them in a can. Nearly identical.
Nutritional Information:
Libby's
Serving size: 3 pieces, 2.5 servings per can
Calories: 130, Fat 110
Total fat: 5g, 18%
Cholesterol: 40mg, 13%
Sodium: 260mg, 11%
Total Carbs: 1g, 0%
Protien: 5g
Armour
Serving size: 3 pieces, 2.5 per can
Calories: 110, Fat 90 15%
Cholesterol: 45mg, 15%
Sodium: 490mg, 20%
Carb: 1g, 0%
Protien: 5g
Libby's had slightly more calories, Armour had slightly more sodium... Overall, there wasn't a distinct difference when coming to values on the Nutritional Information. Both were very, very similar. Even the ingredients are nearly identical.
Taste test.
Raw:
(Doesn't that look wonderful? The sacrifices I make for you people...)
There was very little to distinguish the two in the raw form. Both were similar to uncooked hotdogs, though tasted slightly more like ham. The textures were on the softer side, they kind of fell apart once bitten. A hotdog is far more solid, these were much more processed-meat-shaped-into-cylinders than solid food. The Armour might have been very slightly better, slightly saltier, slightly better texture, but not by very much.
(At least they look slightly better now)
Can you tell the difference cooked? I think the only difference in looks is because the ones on the left were put into the pan while it was still heating up, the ones on the right were put in the heated pan after the first cooked. Other than that, there was very little difference between the two. (Libby's left, Armour right)
In short, they taste exactly the same cooked. I mean, exactly the same. Just warmer. It was actually kind of disappointing.
Conclusions:
Yeah, I have to admit that this was a very anticlimactic battle. I mean, they were very nearly identical. The Armour might have had a very, very slight taste/texture advantage, but that was it. And that might have just been my brain struggling to find a distinction.
Both were cheap, the same size, basically the same nutritional information, tastes almost exactly the same... I'm not sure how to call this one. Either would be a good addition to your stores and I think price would probably be the deciding factor as to which one to stock up on.
Thanks for the article (and the Span vs. CB test, too)... if "I think price would probably be the deciding factor" you should compare off-brand to name-brand - WalMart Great Value vienna sausage ($.50) to Armour, and their 'lunch meat' ($1.96) to Spam ($2.64)
ReplyDeleteVery comprehensive article.
ReplyDeleteI'll have to disagree with you there Mr. Sycip. This amateur blogger (sorry Jercol - that's what you are!) has failed to test every property of the meat based, swine encased product. Have you even thought about the countless combinations this man could've made? How can you even start the promulgation of Austrian based sausages if you don't combine them with other foods; Belgian chocolates, Vietnamese xíu mại or Chinese take out? I say, until the man has the balls to go to a Panda Express and mix some orange chicken into package, I refuse to believe this article is even remotely comprehensive.
Delete- Bob Ross
the package* sorry. I got a little excited there.
DeleteAs the leading authority in sausage making and the history of the sausage, I have found this article to be one of the most comprehensive pieces of work I have seen on the entire internet. Bob Ross, when I say "entire internet" I truly mean the ENTIRE INTERNET. I truly tell you this article is truly comprehensive in both content and empirical data. The writer shows the skill of a researcher who has spent their careers perfecting the sausage. I spent 47 years and 3 months studying the sausage. Please leave this discussion to the professionals.
DeleteExcuse you, I have the support of multiple confirmed sausage based PROFESSIONALS who agree with my statements. I also have a PhD, a master's degree, and multiple INTERNET based certificates on the history, making, and evolution of the sausage. I have even HOSTED a reality TV show based on sausages, with none other than the great Zambini Zambino Zamboni. That's right, I HOSTED a reality TV show with none other than one of THE most important and INFLUENTIAL sausage makers in the WORLD, if not the ENTIRE INTERNET. If anything it is YOU who needs to leave this discussion to the professionals.
Delete- Bob Ross
Hi, it's me again, you seem to not have gotten the memo. I am truly proud that you have gotten your various degrees from the various institutions and organizations that I have founded. As the founder of the University of McSausage, and the current Dean of the Department of Sausageology, you have no authority to tell me to leave this academic discussion. A fresh sausage like you needs to age properly. Unlike you I have been aging for 47 years, before the INTERNET. You are just some new hipster sausage on the butcher block whose flavor cannot beat that of an authentic original german-australio-italian sausage. The spices in me come from generations of techniques passed down from the original maker of the sausage, Antonio Vergara Chen Ling Sausagolini. I am very happy that you have "hosted" a reality TV show, but if you consider a 10 second video on your Youtube channel titled "SAUSAGE MAKING GONE WRONG (EPIC FAIL)" as hosting a reality TV show I have some news to tell you. And the "great" Zambini Zambino Zambony is nothing but a sham sausageologist, he doesn't know what the integral difference between a hot dog and a sausage. I reiterate my earlier message. Please leave this conversation you two tiered sausage maker.
DeleteAnd by the way. I worked with the executive board of Snapchat to invent the "Hot Dog Boi" that took over the internet.
DeleteSounds like somebody created a happy little accident.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteAt your avg cost of roughly $1 per can, that comes in at $4/lb. Not necessarily cheap in that regard.
ReplyDeleteI have tried both of these at one time, but now I only eat Armour brand....they do have a much firmer texture and do taste better.
ReplyDeleteFunny there is such a debate, as one of the biggest foodies out there I'd have to say it comes down to the open flame these were great for a quick sustenance back in the day and libby expands better while armour crisps better. Due to actual invention use I would have to say libby comes out as a 'wiener' 😂
ReplyDelete