Wonderful wursts: A brief guide to German snags

Snag yourself one of Germany's finest and here are a few to keep in mind.

Between bread, alongside the German mainstays of sauerkraut and potatoes, or served cooked, cold or boiled – you name it, sausages want it. Source: Getty Images

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It's not just Aussies that love a tasty snag. Germans love the meaty, barbecue staple more than we do. The European nation is the creator of approximately 1,200 sausage varieties, with flavours prepared in all kinds of ways: between bread, alongside the German mainstays of sauerkraut and potatoes, or served cooked, cold or boiled – you name it.

To save yourself from analysis paralysis, we highlight four German sausages that deserve a spot on the barbie and may be found at your local German butcher shop.

Bratwurst

A sausage that has stood the test of time is the bratwurst. The sausage is so popular that there's even a Bratwurst Museum – complete with its own theatre.

The first recorded mention of bratwurst (fried sausage), dates all the way back to 1313. Seriously, it's the stuffing of legend.

The thick sausage is mostly made with pork; however, it can also be made with veal or beef. It's typically flavoured with a combination of spices, including nutmeg, ginger and cardamom.

It was once known as a meal to survive the cold months and is now best-enjoyed rain, hail or shine – and grilled over flames. 

Anita Fehrenbach, owner and manager of Hela Continental German Smallgoods in Perth, tells SBS Food how to savour the flavour of her shop's best-selling sausage.

I prefer to have it fried or grilled as you can then really taste the flavour of all the spices.

"To cook the bratwurst, just fry it in the pan on low heat for the first few minutes, then cook it for five to six minutes on each side," Fehrenbach says.

"I prefer to have it fried or grilled as you can then really taste the flavour of all the spices. You can then eat it with salad, mustard, bread and potato salad if cooked on a barbecue, or serve it the traditional way with red cabbage, mash potato and sauerkraut."

Currywurst

German housewife Herta Heuwer's clever concoction has now become Berlin's beloved street snack, currywurst – so the story goes. And yes, it once had a museum in its honour.

It was said to have started in 1949 when Heuwer had an exchange with a British soldier who gave her ketchup and curry powder. That trade-off resulted in the creation of the currywurst, coated with sauce and sprinkled with curry powder. 

Berliners, keen to try something different, turned this simple snack into a mainstay around the country.

Although Germans usually eat currywurst from food stands around the country, Fehrenbach says it's easy to prepare the popular snack at home: you can boil, fry or grill it.

"I cut the sausage into small, even pieces, then add a bit of curry powder, sauce and have it with chips," she says.

It's time for a sausage festival. Source: Wurstfest

Nuremberg bratwurst

Nuremberg bratwurst is proof that size matters when it comes to a delectable sausage. This pork sausage should measure between seven to nine centimetres in length (just think chipolatas!). The Nuremberg bratwurst, which hails from Nuremberg, has since received 'protected geographical indication' status from the European Commission, similar to other European specialities like Prosciutto di Parma and Champagne. This means the delicacy can only be made in the city of origin.

It's primarily flavoured with marjoram, but it can have parsley, onion and pepper too. 

"The Nuremberg is a Bavarian-style sausage that's similar to bratwurst," says Fehrenbach. "You eat it like it is, and it's typically served with bread and mustard." Traditionally, the Nuremberg bratwurst is grilled.

If you're keen to cook the sausage on your own backyard barbecue, you can find similar varieties.

Bockwurst

Another popular sausage worth its place between bread is the bockwurst. The sausage is typically prepared with veal (but can also be made with pork) and flavoured with paprika, salt, pepper and other spices and fresh herbs. 

It's widely believed that Berlin pub owner Richard Scholtz invented the sausage in the late nineteenth century and served it alongside Germany's liquid gold: beer.

Not keen on serving it with beer? "Bockwurst is a versatile sausage," says Fehrenbach. "You can heat up in water or slice it and put it in a soup or a salad or have it grilled."

Whichever German snag you choose, and regardless of which way you serve it, it's sure to be wunderbar!

 

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