The 3^rd International meat and sausage festival “Valka-Valga 2016” took place on 7^th of May during the Great Charity Border-Market. For the competition of sausages and smoked products everyone could participate with various products: sausages (boiled, semi-smoked, smoked, hard smoked (salami), blood sausages, groats sausages, Georgian sausages and other), as well as smoked meat products - pork, beef, chicken meat etc.).

In this year, 13 outworker and food production companies from Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania took part in the competition. Latvia was represented widely: starting with the locals (LLC “Servilat”, LLC “Pērkoņkalns”, the owner of guest house “Ausmas” Ilze Leicāne) till Talsi (LLC “Ola 97”), also outworkers from Jeri, Baldone, Skrīveri, Ogresgals , Rīga, Jūrmala, Vaive and Valmiera took part in the competition.

For the second year the Lithuanian company “Kanrugele” traveled to Valka, who also won in its category - the large producers. The absolute winner from the 1^st International meat and sausage festival Tarmo Marss (Estonia, Valga County) also participated for the second year.

This year, the jury had to work very accurately, because they had to evaluate 20 products in sausage class and 28 products in meat product class (in total 48 products!). The jury consisted of mayors of Valka and Valga, officials, as well as producers, culinary chefs, and a journalist from newspaper “Ziemeļlatvija”.

The results:

1. Outworker class

Sausage delicacy

3. place LLC “Ola” – pork sausage and turkey sausage
4. place LLC “Priekuļu gardumi” – hunter's sausage
5. place LLC “Priekuļu gardumi” – shashlik sausage

Sausage for general public

3. place LLC “Pērkoņkalns” – sausage “Pipariņš” (“Pepper”)
4. place LLC “Ola” – chicken sausage
5. place LLC “Priekuļu gardumi” – blood sausage (this product is the absolute leader in the whole competition offer)

Meat and smoked products delicacy

3. place Individual merchant “Baldones gaļa” – “Kungu” meat
4. place Individual merchant “Baldones gaļa” – speck
5. place LLC “Priekuļu gardumi” – roll with dried tomatoes

Products for general public

3. place Tarmo Marss (Estonia) – smoked ribs
4. place LLC “Priekuļu gardumi” – smoked chicken
5. place LLC “Grīns” – smoked breast
6. Large producer class:

Sausage delicacy – “Kanrugele” (Lithuania) – cold-smoked sausage

Sausage for general public – LLC “Servilats” – juniper sausage

Meat and smoked products delicacy – “Kanrugele” (Lithuania) – cold-smoked pork fillet

The information was prepared by Sniedze Ragže