Deli Meat Connoisseurs Tell Mashed Which Brand They Think Is Best - Exclusive Survey
If you frequently eat ham or roast beef sandwiches, you undoubtedly have a go-to brand for the perfect lunch meat. You likely have an ideal pairing too, and the ability to construct new combinations to keep your sandwich fresh. While the most popular sandwich in America is the grilled cheese, deli meat varieties don't fall far behind. According to a study by YouGov America, grilled chicken and turkey sandwiches have a 75% likeability rate, followed by roast beef at 71% and ham at 69%. Users of one Reddit thread believe some of their favorite meats are underappreciated in the deli world. Among these are mortadella, pastrami, and veal loaf.
Redditors are also an experimental bunch; in another thread, users shared their favorite unique sandwich creations. One user called their blue cheese, turkey bacon, and dried tomato combination "surprisingly good," while another boasted a sandwich with "hummus, cucumber, alfalfa sprouts, feta, and a drizzle of honey." No matter how you stack it and what ingredients you use, the right type of deli meat can make or break a sandwich. And when we surveyed our readers on their favorite brands, they came through loud and clear.
Boar's Head is consumed by 84 million Americans annually
Mashed conducted an exclusive survey to decipher what brand of deli meat our readers most prefer. Overall, 601 individuals answered, and 45.26% said that Boar's Head is the deli meat champion. In second place by no slim margin is Hillshire Farms with 23.13% of votes, followed by another drop to 14.31% for Oscar Meyer. From there, Sara Lee received 10.65% of votes and Applegate came in last with 6.66% of votes.
Our readers' beliefs fall directly in line with the rest of the United States, at least when considering first place. Per Statista, Boar's Head was the most consumed deli meat of 2020, with 84 million Americans claiming to have purchased it. In comparison, the second place winner Hillshire Farms was enjoyed by 50.97 million residents. Oscar Meyer's numbers were unexpected, as the brand was purchased by 66.14 million U.S. residents, and the least favorite brand, Applegate, wasn't listed at all. Furthermore, Sara Lee was consumed by 15.86 million Americans.
According to the brand's website, Boar's Head is high-quality as it doesn't contain gluten, artificial colors, added MSG, fillers, by-products, flavors, trans fat, or caramel colors.