How to use it to make the most of its flavor? We compared the “taste and price” of “wiener,” a friend of the common people!

The wiener is a product that became popular throughout Japan after World War II. During the period of rapid economic growth, Japanese manufacturers learned German manufacturing techniques and began to sell authentic pork sausages. While in Europe and the United States, minced raw meat is often used, in Japan, roughly ground wiener, which is packed with the manufacturer’s unique know-how, is gaining support.

The kick-start of this trend was “Chowessen. The casing (wiener skin) was made of natural sheep’s intestine and stuffed with coarsely ground pork, creating a crispy texture. Since then, companies have competed with each other to develop products centering on coarsely ground pork, and the technology has evolved,” said Masahiko Suneya, executive director of the Japan Ham and Sausage Industry Cooperative Association, an industry organization.

The first part is here] A thorough comparison of the “taste and price” of sausage, a “friend of the common people! In addition to meat quality, the key is “salt and spices

The throne is reversed!

Nippon Ham and Itoh Ham have long led the wiener market, but in fact, most of their sales come from the meat business, with ham and sausage sales, including wieners, accounting for only about 10% of total sales. On the other hand, Marudai Foods, which sells “Kuneiya,” launched in 1995, has annual sales of 234.9 billion yen, of which approximately 30% is from the ham and sausage business.

Although its popularity as a product is inferior to that of its rivals, KUNSEIYA is making big sales through horizontal development of products such as “Lemon & Parsley,” “Umashiri Chorizo,” and “Black Pepper,” in addition to its regular products. The company made “Chiikawa Sausage” a hit when it was launched in ’24, so it is expected that the company will continue to release collaborative products in the future. On the other hand, IP collaboration products are easily bored, so I feel that there are issues with sustainability and stability,” says securities analyst Shigeki Unozawa.

Nevertheless, smokers also have an appeal that rivals can’t match, depending on the application. Culinary researcher Akiko Kazama speaks of this.

Akiko Kazama, a food researcher, says, “Smoky and saltier than its rivals, it is ideal as a snack. It is also suitable for combining with other ingredients, such as on pizzas or in Neapolitan dishes, to take advantage of its aroma.

Schaussen and Altbayern, created by a giant capital, and Smokery, which is struggling a bit. The one that has outpaced these three to become the industry leader in terms of sales since 2011 is “Koukun,” which was the last product to go on the market in 2002. PrimaHam, the distributor, is a company with annual sales of 47.55 billion yen, and like Marudai Shokuhin, it focuses more on the processed food business than on the meat business.

The use of smoked cherry wood and 11 different spices gives the product a rich flavor. Compared to other companies’ products, the casing is thinner and softer, so the crust does not harden easily when cold and the aroma is easily maintained. This product has been aimed at lunch box demand from the beginning, and is designed to be ‘tasty even when cold. Because it is a latecomer, it is differentiated from Schaussen and Altbayern. Instead of focusing on flavor, the product is slightly lower in salt than other products, which is also a good point for the elderly and health-conscious consumers,” said Ezawa.

A unique line

Mr. Kazama, mentioned above, also points out the difference between Kaoru and its rivals.

The volume per package is lighter than other products, and the meat is not as tightly packed or coarsely ground as that of Chaussén. Instead, the juiciness stands out. No matter which supermarket you go to, you will find that they have more space on the sales floor and put more effort into sales promotions. I have the impression that they are frequently the subject of special sales.

After all, Kaoru is the most active company in the market. And PrimaHam is preparing its second and third arrows to follow Kaoru Kaoru.

Guilty Sausage Garlic Butter Cheese,” launched in March of last year, was a smash hit, especially among young people. In March this year, we launched “Johnsonville Sausage” jointly developed with “Johnsonville,” a major U.S. sausage company. The company is developing its products while successfully segregating them into three categories: Kaoru for daily use, Guilty Sausage that appeals to the immoral, and Johnsonville in the high-priced range.
Looking at the mid-term management plan, the company plans to invest 57 billion yen for growth, which is quite a large amount for a company with a market capitalization of approximately 120 billion yen. The company intends to allocate this amount to the development of dedicated plants in order to increase production volume. We do not see any bottlenecks, and expectations for the future are quite high,” said Unozawa.

The future of the wiener industry, which Nippon Ham has launched, is likely to be led by PrimaHam, a fat latecomer to the market.

From the May 29, 2026 issue of “FRIDAY