Braunschweiger ( /ˈbɹɑʊ̯nˌʃwɑɪgɚ/, named after

Braunschweig Braunschweig () or Brunswick ( , from Low German ''Brunswiek'' , Braunschweig dialect: ''Bronswiek'') is a city in Lower Saxony, Germany, north of the Harz Mountains at the farthest navigable point of the river Oker, which connects it to the ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

) is a type of

sausage A sausage is a type of meat product usually made from ground meat—often pork, beef, or poultry—along with salt, spices and other flavourings. Other ingredients, such as grains or breadcrumbs may be included as fillers or extenders. ...

. The type of sausage the term refers to varies by region. In the

German language German ( ) is a West Germanic language mainly spoken in Central Europe. It is the most widely spoken and official or co-official language in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and the Italian province of South Tyrol. It is als ...

, ''Braunschweiger'' is the demonym for people from Brunswick (German name ''Braunschweig''), but under German food law refers to a variety of

mettwurst Mettwurst () is a strongly flavored German sausage made from raw minced pork preserved by curing and smoking, often with garlic. The southern German variety is soft and similar to Teewurst. Braunschweiger mettwurst is partially smoked but stil ...

. In

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

, Braunschweiger is known as a type of parboiled sausage (''

Brühwurst Brühwurst ("scalded sausage" or "parboiled sausage") is the collective name for several types of sausages according to the German classification. They are a cooked sausage that are scalded ( parboiled), as opposed to being raw. They are typica ...

''), while American Braunschweiger is often confused with

liverwurst Liverwurst, leberwurst, or liver sausage is a kind of sausage made from liver. It is eaten in many parts of Europe, including Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Latvia, Netherlands, Norway, Polan ...

Germany

''Braunschweiger Mettwurst'' is a smoked, soft and spreadable sausage usually made from raw minced

pork Pork is the culinary name for the meat of the domestic pig (''Sus domesticus''). It is the most commonly consumed meat worldwide, with evidence of pig husbandry dating back to 5000 BCE. Pork is eaten both freshly cooked and preserved; ...

and spiced with garlic, salt and pepper. Produced by Brunswick butchers as a regional speciality since the early 19th century, it became widespread with the advent of food preservation by canning. Several different recipes exist, some also including beef and fat.

Austria

In Austria, Braunschweiger is a Brühwurst variant which is similar to Jagdwurst ("hunting sausage"), made with a mixture of pork and beef, bacon and nitrite curing salt. This type of sausage is usually eaten between meals.

North America

In the United States and Canada, Braunschweiger refers to a type of pork

liver The liver is a major organ only found in vertebrates which performs many essential biological functions such as detoxification of the organism, and the synthesis of proteins and biochemicals necessary for digestion and growth. In humans, it ...

sausage which, if stuffed in natural casings, is nearly always smoked. Commercial products often contain smoked bacon, and are stuffed into fibrous casings. Liverwurst (another type of pork

sausage), however, is never smoked, nor does it contain bacon. The

USDA The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the federal executive department responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, and food. It aims to meet the needs of com ...

requires that the product contain a minimum of 30% liver.Code of Federal Regulations 9 CFR 319.182 http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/cfr_2009/janqtr/pdf/9cfr319.182.pdf Retrieved 29 June 2010 A typical commercial formula is about 40% pork liver or scalded beef liver, 30% scalded pork jowl, 20% lean pork trimmings and 10% bacon ends and pieces. Added seasonings include salt and often include white pepper, onion powder or chopped onion, and mace. Curing ingredients ( sodium erythorbate and

sodium nitrite Sodium nitrite is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula NaNO2. It is a white to slightly yellowish crystalline powder that is very soluble in water and is hygroscopic. From an industrial perspective, it is the most important nitrite ...

) are optional. Braunschweiger has a very high amount of

vitamin A Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin and an essential nutrient for humans. It is a group of organic compounds that includes retinol, retinal (also known as retinaldehyde), retinoic acid, and several provitamin A carotenoids (most notably ...

, iron, protein and fat. The meat has a very soft, spread-like texture and a distinctive spicy liver-based flavor, very similar to the Nordic '' leverpostej''. It is usually used as a spread for toast, but can also be used as a filling for

sandwich A sandwich is a food typically consisting of vegetables, sliced cheese or meat, placed on or between slices of bread, or more generally any dish wherein bread serves as a container or wrapper for another food type. The sandwich began as a po ...

es, often paired with stone-ground

mustard Mustard may refer to: Food and plants * Mustard (condiment), a paste or sauce made from mustard seeds used as a condiment * Mustard plant, one of several plants, having seeds that are used for the condiment ** Mustard seed, seeds of the mustard p ...

, sliced tomato, onion and cheese. In the Midwestern United States, braunschweiger is typically enjoyed in a sandwich with various condiments such as ketchup, mustard, and dill pickles, or simply spread on crackers. There are also a few recipes for

pâté ''Pâté'' ( , , ) is a paste, pie or loaf filled with a forcemeat. Common forcemeats include ground meat from pork, poultry, fish or beef; fat, vegetables, herbs, spices and either wine or brandy (often cognac or armagnac). It is often ser ...

and cheese balls which use braunschweiger as a primary ingredient. However, pâté is creamier than braunschweiger.

References

External links

Nutrition facts for braunschweiger (CondéNet)Braunschwieger production in Pittsburgh (Travel Channel)
{{Sandwiches Lunch meat Culture in Braunschweig German sausages American sausages Hungarian cuisine North German cuisine Liver (food) Smoked meat

Germany

Austria

North America

See also

References

External links