6 things you (probably) didn't know about goetta (2025)

Joshua MedintzCincinnati Enquirer

Goetta is Cincinnati in a sausage.

Inspired by its birthplace's German roots, goetta has taken on a life of its own, mixing prime cuts of beef and pork with oats and subtle spices. The oats historically served as a way to extend a limited supply of meat over the long winter. Today, the sausage keeps those oats for their signature crunchy and fibrous texture when fried – always fried – it's just better that way.

Goetta is also a mix of Midwest Americana with Southern charm, a proud product of Porkopolis. Here are six super fun facts about Cincinnati's beloved sausage that you might not know.

1. Despite its German roots, you won't find goetta in Europe.

Goetta's ancestors might be European, but goetta was born and raised in the Greater Cincinnati area. If you walk into a restaurant in Hanover, Germany, and order a plate of eggs mit goetta, there's no telling what the waiter might serve you. If you ask for knipp, however, you might find yourself enjoying something close.

Similarly, goetta lovers are known to enjoy Scotland's haggis, a sausage much like goetta, though traditionally cooked inside the stomach of a sheep (an artificial casing is often used these days).

2. Not all goetta is created equal.

No two goettas are the same because no two goetta-makers use the same recipe. With varying combinations of spices like cloves, onion, pepper, thyme, sage, bay leaf, paprika and more, you would be hard-pressed to find one goetta with the exact flavor profile of another. Goetta textures also vary widely depending a butcher's particular meat-to-oat ratio. And these alterations make a big difference.

Different strands of goetta can be found at local butcher shops and restaurants all throughout the city. Trying all the iterations is a doable task for any aspiring goetta expert, so let us know in the comments if you're one of those brave souls.

3. Goetta has an enemy in Pennsylvania ... called scrapple.

Scrapple might be goetta's biggest enemy. This loaf-looking sausage traces its roots to regions along the German-Dutch border but finds a home today in Pennsylvania's Amish country. Using corn meal instead of steal-cut oats to supplement the sausage meat, fried scrapple falls short of maturing into goetta's beloved crispy texture, according to former Enquirer food writer Polly Campbell.

Long-time Cincinnatians are thus often displeased with the comparison between the meat mixes. Scrapple also includes pork liver, an addition that might further put off local goetta lovers. So maybe scrapple is not an enemy, but more like a little brother, trying to do things differently, but not quite living up to its elder's glory.

4. Which restaurant serves the most goetta? It's no surprise.

Opened in 1962, Price Hill Chili, the staple restaurant of Cincinnati's West Side, unsurprisingly serves the most goetta in the Queen City, according to the "Glier's Goetta Recipe Book" by Dan Glier. On weekends, the busy Price Hill kitchen adds an extra five-square-foot flattop griddle saved exclusively for goetta.

5. There's a goetta hanky panky recipe.

These Old Cookbooks called Hanky Panky "an old fashioned Polish mistake," but there is no mistaking this Cincinnati dish for any other. Ground meat, Velveeta cheese and a whole bunch of goodness toasted on a slice of pumpernickel loaf, The Enquirer thinks the one thing this dish needs is more meat.

So now, you can cook the region's favorite appetizer with the region's favorite sausage! A few years ago, Glier's released a recipe for goetta Hanky Panky. We tried it out, and you should too.

6. There's a two-week festival in Newport dedicated to goetta.

Goetta mac 'n' cheese, goetta hoagies, goetta vending machines and large lemonade slushies? That means Glier's annual Goettafest is back on at the Newport riverfront. The event started Friday, July 28, and runs through Sunday, Aug. 6.

Goettafest is hosted by Glier's, the largest goetta manufacturer in the world, whose Covington factory was formerly the home of the Bavarian Brewing Company. Glier's produces over a million pounds of goetta a year, using the same original recipe since 1946.

6 things you (probably) didn't know about goetta (2025)

FAQs

6 things you (probably) didn't know about goetta? ›

The word goetta comes from the Low German word Götte, meaning groats or coarse grains (or a food made from them).

What does goetta mean in German? ›

The word goetta comes from the Low German word Götte, meaning groats or coarse grains (or a food made from them).

Why is goetta only in Cincinnati? ›

Goetta gets its origin from the German immigrants who settled in what is now the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood of Cincinnati. In order to stretch their food dollar, they used the scraps from local butchers and hog slaughterhouses to make a satisfying, inexpensive dish.

What is the difference between goetta and scrapple? ›

Scrapple is made with pig parts, cornmeal (and/or flour), and spices. Goetta is created with both pork and beef and uses oats as the binder. While both historical foods are breakfast meats and still eaten today, goetta is much more popular as a sought-after dish frequently served in restaurants.

What is another name for goetta? ›

The ingredient that really makes it unique, though, is steel-cut oats. “Goetta is a peasant food from Germany. It was not known as goetta in Germany. It's known as grutzwurst over there, or grits, grain, wurst, sausage, grain sausage,” Glier said.

Is goetta healthy? ›

It's hard to believe that Glier's Goetta could possibly be good for anything other than your taste buds. But, the fact is that what makes Gliers Goetta savory and unique - whole grain pinhead oats - is what makes it heart-healthy, cholesterol-friendly, and fiber-rich.

What is eggs in German slang? ›

Eier sounds very much like "eyes" and means quite innocently "eggs" but is also used as a colloquial term for "testicles".

What is scrapple called in Kentucky? ›

In Cincinnati (and Northern Kentucky) there's goetta, made with oats instead of cornmeal. In the Carolinas, there's livermush (and liver pudding).

Is haggis like goetta? ›

It is traditionally served at Burn's Night Suppers on January 25th because Robert Burns, the bard of Scotland and a fan of the dish, wrote the poem 'Address to a Haggis' calling it 'great chieftan o' the pudding-race! ' It is fairly similar to the Cincinnati speciality goetta but with more liver flavor.

Is goetta raw meat? ›

Traditionally, goetta was eaten for breakfast. Get a hot skillet or pan and fry a piece of goetta. It's a fully cooked product. When cooking it at home, you just want to get it golden brown and crispy on each side.

Do Amish eat scrapple? ›

Scrapple originates from the frugal notion of wasting nothing in the kitchen. Made from pork offcuts and cornmeal, this dish is an embodiment of resourcefulness. It's a traditional breakfast staple in many Amish households.

What is livermush called in Pennsylvania? ›

Other Names

This mixture made its way south, transforming into scrapple in Pennsylvania's Amish country, becoming livermush as it traveled down through the Shenandoah Valley into the Piedmont region of North Carolina, and finding its home around Charlotte.

What is scrapple called in the south? ›

In the South, scrapple is often called livermush.

Does Germany have goetta? ›

Germans back in Germany didn't make goetta. The sausage derivative is an American specialty, specifically out of Cincinnati, Ohio.

What animal is goetta? ›

It's an amalgamation of pork, beef, spices, and steel-cut (pinhead) oats formed into a loaf, sliced and pan-fried. That may not seem like the most appealing, but when you think about it, that's all any sausage or meatloaf is made out of – goetta is just in a different form.

Why does goetta fall apart? ›

Pro Tips for Cooking Goetta

The first key to helping them keep shape is slicing them thickly (at least 1/2 inch thick). The second key is to avoid using any oil whatsoever. Oil will only make it soggier and fall apart more. Just use a dry non-stick pan over medium-high heat.

What does the German word Braunschweiger mean? ›

Braunschweiger (/ˈbɹɑʊ̯nˌʃwɑɪgɚ/, named after Braunschweig, Germany) is a type of sausage. The type of sausage the term refers to varies by region. In the German language, Braunschweiger is the demonym for people from Brunswick (German name Braunschweig), but under German food law refers to a variety of mettwurst.

What is breakfast sausage called in Germany? ›

Weisswurst. Easily distinguished from other wursts, this pure white wurst hails from Southern Germany and is made up of veal, bacon, onion, lemon, and spices. Weisswurst is boiled and eaten without the skin, usually at breakfast to help prepare for a day of drinking.

What is pork belly called in Germany? ›

Schweinebauch m

Pork belly is eaten smoked in several countries. Schweinebauch wird in einigen Ländern geräuchert verzehrt.

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