11.8.2026 | Shopping

Regular or Raw Sausage for the Grill?

Text Mikko Savikko
Photos Tom Röllich

Rannarootsi’s cheddar and chilli-flavoured grill sausages, and Rakvere’s blueberry-flavoured raw sausages received the most points.

Estonians are enthusiastic grillers. During the Soviet era, meat skewers, or šašlõk, were particularly popular. Today, raw sausages, or toorvorstid, have established a strong position alongside traditional grill sausages. At present, around one hundred representatives of the two aforementioned product groups are available in shops. For the test, we selected new products available at Prisma in Tallinn, as well as sausages from as many different producers as possible. Marketers believe in flavouring with cheese this year.

The test therefore included only some of the Estonian sausages available that are suitable for grilling. More products can be found in the chilled sections of supermarkets. Nine Estonians and Finns of different ages took part in the test. The southern Estonian Karni brand performed particularly well in the test. It is produced by the Estonian company Arke Lihatööstus.

Estonia’s largest meat-processing plants are Rakvere, Atria, Nõo, and Tallegg. The latter is known for its chicken products, but its range also includes a few grill sausages. At present, Rakvere’s range of grill and raw sausages includes 11 different products, while Atria’s plants, Maks&Moorits and Wõro, offer 15 different varieties, and Nõo’s range contains 12 grill and raw sausages. Rannarootsi Lihatööstus also has a notable selection: 15 different sausage products have been prepared for the summer market. Linnamäe Lihatööstus, which specialises in game meat, offers 14 different grill and raw sausages.

Additives in sausages

For those interested in sausage additives, it is worth knowing that most contain sodium nitrite, or the additive E250. It is not recommended, particularly for small children. Among the products without E250 are Rakvere’s Lihakas šašlõkivorstid, or “meaty meat skewer sausages”, Laste toorvorstid ploomidega or “children’s raw sausages with plums” and Šašlõki toorvorstid or “meat skewer raw sausages”; Maks&Moorits Laste toorvorstikesed or “children’s raw sausages”; Nõo Laste toorvorstid juustuga or “children’s raw sausages with cheese”, and Treski Väkkev toorvorst, or “raw sausage”; Tallegg’s Šašlõkivorstid broilerilihast or “meat skewer sausages from broiler chicken”, and Merevaigu toorvorstid broilerilihast or “raw sausages from broiler chicken”. E250-free products from Linnamäe Lihatööstus include Klassikalised põdralihaga toorvorstid or “classic moose raw sausages”, Mahedad veiselihast toorvorstid or “mild beef raw sausages”, and Kukeseene-sulajuustuga toorvorstid or “chanterelles with processed cheese”.