The battle for the tastiest Brabant sausage roll has erupted again. Monday the home bakers were allowed to hand in their best baking. And they were immediately assessed by the jury.
A little nervous, Eveline van Duijnhoven from Tilburg arrives with a large box at De Rooi Pannen in Eindhoven. There, home bakers and students can hand in their tastiest sausage rolls. “They have become these,” she says proudly when she opens the box. She wants to share the secret of her sandwiches. “It is my grandfather’s recipe. Just before he died, he transferred the recipe to me. I want to honor that.”
“I don’t know how big the competition is.”
Eveline is participating for the first time in the election of the tastiest Brabant sausage roll. But she has often baked them. “I started with grandfather. And since his death I have made them myself. Especially with Christmas and New Year’s Eve. And I also made more than a hundred with carnival.”
Enough experience. Yet Eveline is not so sure that she will reach the final. “I estimate my chances reasonably well. With my family and friends they are at least appreciated. Let’s hope that this is the case here. But I don’t dare say, because I don’t know how big the competition is.”
“If they are rejected for the form, I hope the jury wants to taste them anyway.”
One of those competitors is Ilse Neidsig from Geldrop. Her sandwiches look very different. “These are breast rolls,” she says laughing as she shows her round sausage rolls. Ilse has had breast cancer and bakes these sandwiches for charity. Whether her breast rolls are approved by the jury, she doesn’t know. “I have no idea if this is allowed,” she says. “But I am stubborn, this is simply my thing. If they are rejected for the form, I hope the jury wants to taste them anyway.”
Not only the shape of Ilse’s sandwiches differs from the traditional sausage roll. They are also again vegan. “That was really a challenge. I tried to copy the texture of the meat and catch the taste of the normal Brabant sausage roll. I think they are tasty and the people I have tasted, so we see. I don’t participate in winning, but I am curious what they think.”
“This could just be a contender for the final.”
Remco Beekman is one of the jury members. He must judge about fourteen different sausage rolls. And he takes that very seriously. “I first look at the outside whether the shape is good and how the coloring is. And whether the sandwich at the bottom is nicely folded.” Then Remco cuts the sandwich in length. But he still doesn’t taste. “I now see whether the dough and the minced meat are equally distributed and whether there is no air on the sides.” Remco also smells the sausage roll. “He smells good, I’m looking forward to it,” he says laughing.
Then he finally takes a bite. “Tasty! This is a good sausageboard. It is a combination of good bread and good meat. This could just be a contender for the final. Who knows.”
It remains exciting for Ilse and Eveline. In ten days, the home bakers will only hear if they are through to the final. Eveline has good hope. “Yes, I hope that I will reach the final at least. Then I would be very proud of myself. And if I Win Opa would have been indescribably proud.”
