![Knackwurst in Hamburg](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/98/Knackwurst_in_Hamburg.jpg)
Knackwurst () (in North America sometimes spelled knockwurst () refers to 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.
...
of
northern German origin from the mid-16th century. The many available varieties depend on the geographical region of their production.
Etymology and pronunciation
The German noun ''Knackwurst''—which, in English, is sometimes
corrupted as ''knockwurst''—comes from the German verb ''knacken'' () ("to crack") or the adjective ''knackig'' () ("crisp"). This refers to the swelling of the sausage during the process of cooking, so that the skin becomes pressurized and balloon-like, and tends to "pop", often exploding the juices, when bitten into (authentic example: ). (Cf. the British term "banger".) The term ″Knackwurst″ came up in Germany the middle of the 16th century. In Germany, all different kinds of ''Knackwürste'' are abbreviated ''Knacker'' ().
''Knockwurst'' in the US
![2015 0629 Sailor at NYD](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4b/2015_0629_Sailor_at_NYD.jpg)
In
North America, a ''knockwurst'' refers to a short, plump sausage originating from northern Germany. It contains ground
veal, ground
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 fresh
garlic stuffed into
hog casings.
As part of the production process, the sausages are aged for two to five days, then
smoked over
oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably ''L ...
wood
Wood is a porous and fibrous structural tissue found in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic materiala natural composite of cellulose fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of lignin ...
. Knockwurst is often prepared highly
seasoned.
Knockwurst is sometimes cut in half lengthwise before serving, for example when served on a
sailor sandwich
A sailor sandwich is a hot meat and cheese sandwich popular at Jewish delis in Richmond, Virginia, area restaurants. Its core ingredients are hot pastrami, grilled knackwurst, melted Swiss cheese and hot mustard on rye bread.
Origins
The New ...
.
Knackwurst in Germany
Numerous regional varieties of knackwurst exist in Germany. They all differ from knackwurst varieties sold in Austria. There, a knackwurst always refers to a sausage containing bacon and added potato starch. In addition to the term "knackwurst", common names are "Salzburger" or "Schübling".
As a specialty in
Hamburg
(male), (female) en, Hamburger(s),
Hamburgian(s)
, timezone1 = Central (CET)
, utc_offset1 = +1
, timezone1_DST = Central (CEST)
, utc_offset1_DST = +2
, postal ...
, scalded ''Knackwurst'' served with mustard and half a slice of white bread is a popular snack for lunch. It is also sold at the
Hamburger Dom
The Hamburger Dom is a large fair held at Heiligengeistfeld fair ground in central Hamburg, Germany. With three fairs (spring, summer and winter) per year it is the biggest and the longest fair throughout Germany and attracts
approximately ten mil ...
, the largest
Volksfest
A Volksfest ( ; German for "people's festival")Cognate of "folk festival" in English is a large event in German-speaking countries which usually combines a beer festival or wine festival and a travelling funfair. Attractions may include amusement ...
in northern Germany, under various, sometimes poetic, names like ''Domknacker'', ''Hamburger Knacker'', or ''Hafenlümmel'' (literally: harbour tyke).
Product description
on the website of ''Salzbrenner'' Hamburg, retrieved on 17 March 2016.
Knake in Sweden
A ''knake'' refers to a short, plump and dark sausage which is produced by Holmgrens in the City of Lund, Lund. It is a Lund speciality and dates back to the 1910s. Today's recipe is dated to the 1960s.
See also
* List of sausages
* List of smoked foods
References
{{Sausage
German sausages
Smoked meat
Hamburg cuisine