The next stop on our foodie tour of the globe is not just one but several. With over one thousand types of wurst across Germany, some of them unique to one city (and geographically protected to boot) a quick stop in the country’s capital just wouldn’t be enough.
Can you even imagine a thousand different types of sausage? We certainly couldn’t, let alone taste them all, so here’s the top five, tried and tested, in their native setting, complete with appropriate side dishes. Because when it comes to a good snag it’s all about what you do with it, and a bit of bread and tomato sauce just doesn’t quite cut it over here.
Bratwurst
The most popular and most well known type of wurst across Germany and the globe, Bratwurst is a pork sausage with loads of spice, fried to greasy perfection. Horseradish cream and hot mustard finish this wurst off nicely, along with a golden pretzel, and the biggest mug of beer you can feasibly drink.Rostbratwurst
Nuremberg’s snag of choice, these are just like bratwurst, only in miniature. Wander the streets of the medieval town and you’ll find them available as three, six or nine (for the extremely hungry, three was quite enough for us) alongside a heaping pile of sweet, vinegary potato salad. You’ll only find them in Nuremburg though because this is one protected sausage.Cervelat
Made of beef, bacon, and pork rinds, cervelat is the sausage of our dreams. The name translates to ‘brain sausage’ but don’t worry, pork brains are rarely used these days. Smoky, firm, and found near the Swiss border, this sausage is scored on each end so the tips curl out when cooked. Mmmm, pretty and delicious. Masquerading as something healthy, these snags go great on top of a tangy bean salad.Blutwurst
Yes, blut is German for blood, specifically, pig’s blood. But before you get squeamish, boy oh boy is it scrumptious. Blood sausage is common all over Europe, Asia, and South America. A billion or so sausage fans can’t be wrong, can they? Although congealed blood is the main ingredient (mmm, iron), you can also find pork meat, oatmeal, and spices, keeping everything nice and firm, and it pairs deliciously with a fruity applesauce. Get past your wurst fear by taking that first bite. You’ll never go back.Curry Wurst
This one makes the list purely to warn unsuspecting foodie travellers that they will be biting into boiled sausage drowned in ketchup and then doused in curry powder for extra ‘flavour’ when they tuck into Berlin’s favourite fast food. Don’t listen to them when they tell you it’s amazing. It’s not. So are you drooling for some pure pork goodness right about now? Don’t worry if you can’t make it to Germany, you can get some right here in Brisbane. Try hand-minced snags at Black Forest Restaurant, the Bavarian Bier Cafe where you’ll find big jugs of German beer to go with those snags, or the German Sausage Hut, a sausage lover’s paradise. Words by Ranyhyn Akui
