# What spices make stuff taste like sausage?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-spices-make-stuff-taste-like-sausage/207448
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [October 14, 2003, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-spices-make-stuff-taste-like-sausage/207448 "2003-10-14T20:47:49Z")
**Posts on this page:** 18
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)
#### Post date: [October 14, 2003, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-spices-make-stuff-taste-like-sausage/207448/1 "2003-10-14T20:47:49Z")
So when you’re making sausage, presumably you add certain spices to the pork or beef or whatever to make it taste sausage like. I was thinking that in certain food emergencies, these would be useful to have around, since I always have ground beef somewhere, but don’t always have sausage.
So what do I need?
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### Author:  [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)
#### Post date: [October 14, 2003, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-spices-make-stuff-taste-like-sausage/207448/2 "2003-10-14T20:58:14Z")
This won’t tell you what’s actually in the spices, but if you want to make sausage, you can order various spice mixtures [here](http://spicesamerica.com/products.htm). Some supermarkets and butcher’s shops sell this sort of thing too.
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### Author:  [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)
#### Post date: [October 14, 2003, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-spices-make-stuff-taste-like-sausage/207448/3 "2003-10-14T21:03:28Z")
For breakfast sausage you might try sage or poultry seasoning (which contains sage). Use it sparingly, though, it can get overpowering. Use black pepper or cayenne for hotness.
For Italian-type sausage, try oregano and fennel. Same as above for hotness.
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### Author:  [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)
#### Post date: [October 14, 2003, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-spices-make-stuff-taste-like-sausage/207448/4 "2003-10-14T21:06:41Z")
[Here](http://schmidling.netfirms.com/bsaus.htm) is a very good page on sausage-making, featuring a breakfast sausage recipe. You can substitute ground beef for ground pork in most cases:
> [@](#):
>
> PORK, boned …1 lb
> SALT, pickling (non iodized)… 1 tsp
> PEPPER, ground …1/4 tsp
> SAGE, rubbed…1/2 tsp
> GINGER…1/8 tsp
> NUTMEG…1/4 tsp
> THYME…1/4 tsp
> PAPRIKA…1/4 tsp
> WATER…2 oz
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### Author:  [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)
#### Post date: [October 14, 2003, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-spices-make-stuff-taste-like-sausage/207448/5 "2003-10-14T21:42:53Z")
Yep; apart from the meat (which is sometimes considered optional in supermarket sausages), the key flavours (as far as I can perceive them) are: salt, pepper, sage, nutmeg, thyme. Really not sure about the ginger **Q.E.D.**.
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### Author:  [@CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrankyAsAnOldMan)
#### Post date: [October 14, 2003, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-spices-make-stuff-taste-like-sausage/207448/6 "2003-10-14T21:43:55Z")
I have a recipe for spaghetti pie that uses hamburger but you add a little fennel seed to it. Tastes a lot more sausagey
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### Author:  [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)
#### Post date: [October 14, 2003, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-spices-make-stuff-taste-like-sausage/207448/7 "2003-10-14T22:03:16Z")
Sage
Rosemary \<---- Makes it _extra_ good !
salt
pepper
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### Author:  [@Peach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peach)
#### Post date: [October 14, 2003, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-spices-make-stuff-taste-like-sausage/207448/8 "2003-10-14T22:11:51Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by CrankyAsAnOldMan \*
> \*\*I have a recipe for spaghetti pie that uses hamburger but you add a little fennel seed to it. Tastes a lot more sausagey \*\*
whenever i taste fennel i automatically think “Sausage!”
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### Author:  [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)
#### Post date: [October 14, 2003, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-spices-make-stuff-taste-like-sausage/207448/9 "2003-10-14T22:25:26Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Mangetout \*
> \*\*Really not sure about the ginger **Q.E.D.**. \*\*
Don’t look at me, it’s not my recipe. Personally, I do think the ginger would add a nice flavor. I might give it a go one of these days.
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### Author:  [@JRootabega](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRootabega)
#### Post date: [October 14, 2003, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-spices-make-stuff-taste-like-sausage/207448/10 "2003-10-14T22:36:41Z")
Add anise to the list. Though that may be more of an Italian sausage thing.
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### Author:  [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)
#### Post date: [October 14, 2003, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-spices-make-stuff-taste-like-sausage/207448/11 "2003-10-14T23:26:27Z")
Yep, sage and fennel are the signature sausage flavors.
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### Author:  [@bare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bare)
#### Post date: [October 15, 2003, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-spices-make-stuff-taste-like-sausage/207448/12 "2003-10-15T01:39:05Z")
Back in the days when I worked making sausage, the predominant spice was marjorum and sage.
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### Author:  [@Meeko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meeko)
#### Post date: [October 15, 2003, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-spices-make-stuff-taste-like-sausage/207448/13 "2003-10-15T02:59:08Z")
I noticed that my Mc Donalds hamburger, the parts that where not covered by the bun, looked and seemed to taste like their sausage biscuits… This was less than a month ago. Just thought that it pertained here.
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### Author:  [@chorpler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chorpler)
#### Post date: [October 15, 2003, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-spices-make-stuff-taste-like-sausage/207448/14 "2003-10-15T03:31:53Z")
Is fennel the little ellipsoid-shaped seed-looking thingies that always show up in pizza sausage? I always think of sausage when I eat those things.
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### Author:  [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)
#### Post date: [October 15, 2003, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-spices-make-stuff-taste-like-sausage/207448/15 "2003-10-15T16:12:51Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by chorpler \*
> \*\*Is fennel the little ellipsoid-shaped seed-looking thingies that always show up in pizza sausage? I always think of sausage when I eat those things. \*\*
Yup, that’s fennel. Well, technically it’s fennel seed. Fennel itself is like a big, sweet onion with celery-like stalks.
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### Author:  [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)
#### Post date: [October 15, 2003, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-spices-make-stuff-taste-like-sausage/207448/16 "2003-10-15T17:02:03Z")
semi-hijack:
What spices make bratwurst bratwurst instead of Polish/Italian/Summer/Breakfast sausage?
Brian
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### Author:  [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)
#### Post date: [October 15, 2003, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-spices-make-stuff-taste-like-sausage/207448/17 "2003-10-15T17:09:22Z")
[Bratwurst.](http://www.recipegoldmine.com/bbqguru/kevin59.html)
[Polish sausage.](http://recipes.chef2chef.net/recipe-archive/5/A05327.shtml)
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### Author:  [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)
#### Post date: [October 15, 2003, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-spices-make-stuff-taste-like-sausage/207448/18 "2003-10-15T17:56:18Z")
Fennel seed is a prime ingredient in sweet Italian sausage. The more the merrier, sez me. Marjoram is used heavily in traditional Polish sausage.
Most of the stuff you buy off the shelf is very heavily salted. The best sausage is found at an independent butcher, or ordered from an online deli. If you’re interested in making your own, take a look at “Great Sausage Recipes and Meat Curing” by Rytek Kutas.