The Wurst of Germany | Suthentic Sausage Eating in Germany (2024)

By Amanda Little

Do you know your knackwurst from your leberwurst? With so many varieties of German sausage, it can be hard to pick the best wurst for you. Check this list for a quick course in the best-tasting wurst!

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The Wurst of Germany | Suthentic Sausage Eating in Germany (1)

Bratwurst

Bratwurst is likely the most popular German wurst and is made from pork, beef, marjoram, caraway, garlic, and many other spices. These large sausages are usually grilled and served with a roll and sweet German mustard, but they’re also known as the perfect biergarten food, where they’re cooked in beer and served with potatoes and red cabbage. With bratwurst being so popular, it can be found anywhere in Germany.

Bregenwurst

The main ingredient of bregenwurst used to be pig or cattle brain, but is now mostly made from pork and pork belly, along with a list of spices. This looped sausage comes from Lower Saxony, its color looks similar to knackwurst, and is often stewed and served with kale.

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Nurnberfer Rostbratwurst

These petite bratwurst sausages are about as tall as a pinky finger and come from the city of Nuremberg. Consisting of pork, marjoram, cardamom, lemon powder, salt, pepper, and ginger, these little piggies are often served up to 6 in one serving and are best eaten with sauerkraut, potatoes, and horseradish cream.

Knackwurst

These fat, stubby sausages are all beef, and pack a flavorful punch with the flavor of garlic. Knackwurst are plump and known for the cracking sound they make when you bite into them. Sometimes they are smoked, but knackwurst go best with sauerkraut and potato salad, or paired with other sausages on a wurst board.

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Blood Sausage

Also known as blutwurst, this sausage is congealed pig or cow's blood, pork, beef, animal fat, bread or oatmeal, and spices. German blood sausage is a traditional wurst that is eaten cold and usually served on bread, Known as black pudding, botifarro, and boudin noir elsewhere in Europe, the German version of this dish is called tote oma, which translates to Dead Grandma. Not to worry though; while some ingredients might seem unsavory, there is no grandma in the wurst.

Lange Rote

Stop by a sausage truck in Munster to grab a bit of the juicy Lange Rote wurst. The sausage very nearly looks like a carrot, but the meaty meal measures over a foot long, and is served on a bread bun doused in mustard. The locals like to argue over whether it is best eaten with or without the onions that often come with it.

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Bockwurst

Hailing from Frankfurt, this veal wurst contains a little pork and various other meats, as well as salt, pepper, and paprika. This sausage is often smoked, but is usually boiled and served up with mustard and Bock beer. This hot dog-like wurst is a popular sausage served during Oktoberfest.

Landjager

This wurst is dried and often brought on hiking trips as a snack. Breaking away from the norm of the other wursts, this sausage includes sugar along with other ingredients of beef, pork, spices, and lard. Since it is air dried, it doesn’t require refrigeration and is slightly similar to jerky.

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Leberkase

This Bavarian sausage literally means “liver cheese,” and contains neither liver nor cheese. The wurst is actually similar to meatloaf, made of corned beef, pork, onions, marjoram, and a various spices. It differs from many wursts because it is baked in a pan and develops its own crust. It’s served either hot or cold.

Leberwurst

Not unlike the French pate, leberwurst (liverwurst) is made from pork and pork liver, and has two variations on it. Kalbsleberwurst is similar, but made with veal and pork liver, while braunschweiger is the same recipe but smoked and spreadable. While the spices remain similar to other wursts, a recent trend in the sausage has been to add unusual ingredients, like lingonberries or mushrooms.

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Teewurst

This sausage is left to ferment after being air-dried or smoked. The raw sausage is made up of pork, bacon, and beef, however the other ingredients are a well-kept secret. Meant to be eaten at tea-time on open-faced sandwiches, the sausage is slightly sour, but otherwise mild. Bon appa-tea!

Gelbwurst

The distinctive yellow casing of gelbwurst is how it got its name, meaning “yellow sausage.” Spiced with ginger, cardamom, and lemon, gelbwuest can be made from pork, bacon, beef, or chicken. It’s served on bread and eaten immediately because it goes rancid very quickly. Like bregenwurst, this sausage once had animal brain as one of its ingredients, but now keeps grey matter out of its yellow skin.

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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. Paired with beer, soft pretzels, and sweet mustard, this wurst is a major part of Oktoberfest. Tradition even says that this delicate wurst should never be allowed to hear the noon chime of church bells, because it will go bad if it isn’t eaten in the morning!

Ketwurst

Another staple of street food, ketwurst isn’t so much a specific sausage as a way to eat it. Thrown together in the 1970s, ketwurst is simply a bockwurst in a bun topped with a splash of ketchup. This style of consuming a wurst quickly caught on as street food and gets its name from the combination of ketchup and wurst. A simple name befitting a simple meal.

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Currywurst

An incredibly popular Berlin street food, currywurst is said to have been created when a Berlin housewife, Herta Heuwer, was trying to liven up her family’s meager post-war diet. She traded German alcohol for English curry powder, mixed it with ketchup and Worcestershire sauce, and ladled the concoction over sausage. Today, the savory snack is served with fries or on a roll.

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The Wurst of Germany | Suthentic Sausage Eating in Germany (2024)

FAQs

The Wurst of Germany | Suthentic Sausage Eating in Germany? ›

These petite bratwurst sausages are about as tall as a pinky finger and come from the city of Nuremberg. Consisting of pork, marjoram, cardamom, lemon powder, salt, pepper, and ginger, these little piggies are often served up to 6 in one serving and are best eaten with sauerkraut, potatoes, and horseradish cream.

What kind of sausage do Germans eat? ›

Bratwurst. One of the most famous of German sausages, second only to the Frankfurter Würstchen, the bratwurst—a.k.a., "brat"—is typically made from veal, beef or pork. The recipe for the actual sausage varies from region to region and has, to date, over 40 varieties.

How do you eat German wurst? ›

It's a matter of personal preference, but in Germany, sausages are often served with a roll, mustard, and ketchup, or in a hearty stew, soup, or hot dog. Some people also like to grill their sausages and enjoy them with sauerkraut and potatoes.

How is bratwurst eaten in Germany? ›

The Thüringer Rostbratwurst is a spicy sausage from Thuringia. It is thin and 15–20 cm (6–8 in) long. It is traditionally grilled over a charcoal fire and eaten with mustard and bread.

How to eat bierwurst? ›

Pinkish-red in colour, parboiled and sometimes smoked, bierwurst must be cooked before serving and is often eaten as a snack, accompanied by a glass of beer, or sliced into sandwiches.

What is the best German wurst? ›

Bratwurst. Bratwurst is likely the most popular German wurst and is made from pork, beef, marjoram, caraway, garlic, and many other spices.

What's the difference between a wurst and a sausage? ›

Bratwurst is a kind of sausage which originated from Germany. In German brat means “finely chopped meat” and wurst means “sausage”. Usually, this kind of sausage is prepared with pork, beef and veal are can also be used to prepare this item.

Do Germans eat sausages with bread? ›

The Germans have their well loved red or white sausages served in a bread roll with mustard and/or ketchup. These are an institution at football (soccer) games and at just about every festivity you can think of.

Can you eat German sausage raw? ›

Some German sausages, like Metwurst and Teewurst, are often eaten raw, while others, like Bratwurst or Weisswurst, are typically cooked before consumption. Always check specific sausage types for recommended preparation methods to ensure food safety.

Do Germans put mustard on bratwurst? ›

Typically Germans will eat the bratwurst with a hearty piece of bread and some spicy mustard, and that honestly is the best way to enjoy this sausage. Pour your chicken broth in a large pot, then add your bratwurst. Bring it to a gentle boil, allowing your bratwurst to cook completely through (about 10 to 15 minutes).

Do Germans boil bratwurst? ›

If you grill bratwurst it does not mean you have to boil it in beer, water or other liquid. In fact the Wurst Haus recommends not boiling ours at all, because what happens is you boil out some of our wonderful flavored seasonings and spices, then you take this wonderful flavored beer/water and pour it down the drain.

What do Germans put on bratwurst? ›

Mustard: Classic yellow or spicy brown mustard is a common choice. Sauerkraut: This fermented cabbage condiment pairs well with bratwurst. Ketchup: Some people enjoy ketchup on their bratwurst. Onions: Grilled or sautéed onions add a flavorful topping.

Do you eat the skin on German sausage? ›

The most important rule is to never eat the skin of Weisswurst. Contrary to other sausages, such as Bratwurst, the skin should not be eaten because it is chewy and ruins the taste.

Are you supposed to eat the casing on a bratwurst? ›

Hog casings are obtained from the stomach, and small, large and terminal portions of the intestines. They are commonly used to stuff Italian sausage, smoked sausage, bratwurst and pork sausage. While less tender than sheep casings, hog casings are usually consumed with the sausage.

What is the traditional way to eat a bratwurst? ›

In Germany, the sausages are typically fresh (uncooked), grilled and served on hard rolls with sauerkraut.

What's the difference between German sausage and regular sausage? ›

Bratwurst is a type of German sausage most commonly made from pork, though some recipes also use beef and veal. Bratwurst is prepared and stored fresh so it doesn't have a long shelf life like a sausage can. Another difference that is common across most bratwurst recipes is the use of the herb marjoram for flavor.

What is the German equivalent of kielbasa? ›

Wurst” means sausage in German, and “Bratwurst" meant originally “finely chopped sausage”. There are many varieties of Bratwurst, each of them is a kind of sausage, a kind of kielłbasa in the Polish language.

What are the white German sausages called? ›

Weißwurst [ˈvaɪsvʊɐ̯st], literally 'white sausage'; Bavarian: Weißwuascht) is a traditional Bavarian sausage made from minced veal and pork back bacon. It is usually flavored with parsley, lemon, mace, onions, ginger and cardamom, although there are some variations.

What is the difference between bratwurst and Krainerwurst? ›

Bratwurst is a German, mostly pork sausage. Krainerwurst is beef and pork, a cured and smoked version of the brat with a mild amount of garlic.

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