Taste & Tell
Buy the best: we put supermarket potato salads to the taste test
Our judges have spoken: here's where to head to pick up a delicious ready-made side dish for your next braai
HOW WE CONDUCTED OUR TASTE TEST
It's free and fair!
We eat with our eyes, we all know that, but add branding and packaging and one's opinion of a product is often swayed before they've even tasted it. So to ensure our tastings are free and fair, all packaging is removed before products are presented to our panel of judges.
The products are also numbered and, if required, prepared exactly to package instructions. Food expert Jenny Kay is on hand in the kitchen to ensure fairness while this all happens.
Our judges are then asked to rate each product on a score-sheet according to appearance, aroma, taste — and whether they would buy it or not.
Auditor Jade Craig oversees the whole process, collates all the scores and draws up a report.
THE RESULTS
FIRST PLACE: WOOLWORTHS
Deli-Style Potato Salad
Price: 1kg for R59.99
What the judges said:
- Chantel: Good visual appeal, love the red onion which gives it a sweeter taste. Good texture.
- Candice: Interesting presentation - colour from onion and herbs. Skin on potatoes, mayo a little bland.
- Ewan: Liked the skin-on potato appearance, good flavour but more salt and pepper needed. Great texture.
- Sergio: Delicious, good texture, very well balanced flavours.
SECOND PLACE: PICK N PAY
Potato Salad
Price: 500g for R34.99
What the judges said:
- Marina: Well balanced salad, will complement a braai spread.
- Siyabulela: Flavour ok, looked ok.
- Cale: Lacks seasoning and some potato undercooked.
- Brandon: Real potato salad taste, smells good. Nice.
THIRD PLACE: CHECKERS
Potato Salad
Price: 650g for R39.99
What the judges said:
- Kabelo: Overpowering smell of egg and onions.
- Candice: Slightly weird texture, potatoes hard and waxy. Mayo too thin, bland flavour.
- Lynda: Tastes better than it looks.
- Devon: This salad needs seasoning.
FOURTH PLACE: SPAR
Green Salad Range Potato Salad
Price: R62.99 per kg
What the judges said:
- Chanel: No visual appeal, no flavour, bland. Mayo is not good and potatoes waxy.
- Ewan: No tastebud tickler, lacks appeal.
- Sergio: Very bland looking and tasting. Needs something green to make it look appealing.
- Marina: Way too tangy and tastes "mass produced".