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Bratwurst () is a type of
German 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. W ...
made from pork or, less commonly, beef or
veal Veal is the meat of calves, in contrast to the beef from older cattle. Veal can be produced from a calf of either sex and any breed, however most veal comes from young male calves of dairy breeds which are not used for breeding. Generally, v ...
. The name is derived from the Old High German , from , finely chopped meat, and , sausage, although in modern German it is often associated with the verb , to pan fry or roast. Beef and veal are usually incorporated amongst a blend often including pork. Beef or veal is usual in halal and
kosher (also or , ) is a set of dietary laws dealing with the foods that Jewish people are permitted to eat and how those foods must be prepared according to Jewish law. Food that may be consumed is deemed kosher ( in English, yi, כּשר), fro ...
Bratwurst sausages, which never include pork for religious reasons.


History

The first documented evidence of the Bratwurst in Germany dates to 1313 in the Franconian city of Nuremberg, which is still internationally renowned for the production of grilling sausages.


Types and traditions


Germany

Recipes for the sausage vary by region and even locality; some sources list over 40 different varieties of
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...
bratwurst, many of the best known originating in Franconia (today for the most part situated in northern Bavaria, but still culturally quite distinct), its northern neighbour Thuringia and adjacent areas. How the sausages are served is also locally different, but most commonly they are regarded as a simple snack served with or in a white bread roll made from wheat flour and eaten with mustard. As a pub dish, it is often accompanied by sauerkraut or potato salad and sometimes served with dark, crusty country bread made predominantly from
rye Rye (''Secale cereale'') is a grass grown extensively as a grain, a cover crop and a forage crop. It is a member of the wheat tribe (Triticeae) and is closely related to both wheat (''Triticum'') and barley (genus ''Hordeum''). Rye grain is u ...
flour, less commonly with a ''Brezel'' (
pretzel A pretzel (), from German pronunciation, standard german: Breze(l) ( and French / Alsatian: ''Bretzel'') is a type of baked bread made from dough that is commonly shaped into a knot. The traditional pretzel shape is a distinctive symmetrical ...
). It is a very popular form of
fast food Fast food is a type of mass-produced food designed for commercial resale, with a strong priority placed on speed of service. It is a commercial term, limited to food sold in a restaurant or store with frozen, preheated or precooked ingredien ...
in German-speaking countries, often cooked and sold by street vendors from small stands, and is also traditionally popular with fans at football games.


Franconian varieties


=''Fränkische Bratwurst''

= The Franconian sausage is a relatively long (), thick, coarse sausage, common to the whole Franconian region with slight variations. It dates back to 1313. With marjoram as a characteristic ingredient, it is close in taste to the ''Nürnberger Bratwurst'' but juicier, due to its size and coarseness. The ''Fränkische Bratwurst'' is traditionally served with sauerkraut or potato salad.


=''Coburger Bratwurst''

= ''Bratwurst'' originating in the city of Coburg in Franconia was first documented there in 1498. It is made from pork and a minimum of 15% beef, seasoned with only salt, pepper, nutmeg, and lemon zest, and bound with raw egg. It is coarse in texture and is about long. Traditionally, it is grilled over pinecones and served in a bread roll (''Brötchen'').


=''Kulmbacher Bratwurst''

= The ''Kulmbacher Bratwurst'' is a finely-ground Rohwurst from the city of
Kulmbach Kulmbach () is the capital of the district of Kulmbach in Bavaria in Germany. The town is famous for Plassenburg Castle, which houses the largest tin soldier museum in the world, and for its sausages, or ''Bratwürste''. Geography Location Ku ...
in Upper Franconia. Long and thin, it is made mostly from very finely ground veal, with very little pork. This sausage may be seasoned with salt, white pepper, nutmeg, lemon peel, marjoram, caraway, and garlic. The exact mixture is a closely guarded trade secret of each butcher. Kulmbacher bratwursts are usually pan-fried, or grilled over a wood fire. They are sold and served freshly grilled from vendors' stands in the Marktplatz, in pairs, with or without mustard, on crusty rolls sprinkled with anise.


=''Nürnberger Rostbratwurst''

= The small, thin bratwurst from Franconia's largest city, Nuremberg, was first documented in 1567; it is long, and weighs between 20 and 25 g. The denominations ''Nürnberger Bratwurst'' and ''Nürnberger Rostbratwurst'' (''Rost'' comes from the grill above the cooking fire) are Protected Geographical Indications (PGI) under EU law since 2003, and may therefore only be produced in the city of Nürnberg, where an "Association for the Protection of ''Nürnberger Bratwürste''" was established in 1997. Pork-based and typically seasoned with fresh marjoram which gives them their distinctive flavour, these sausages are traditionally grilled over a beechwood fire. As a main dish six sausages are served on a pewter plate with either sauerkraut or potato salad, and accompanied by a dollop of horseradish or mustard. They are also sold as a snack by street vendors as ''Drei im Weckla'' (three in a bun; the spelling ''Drei im Weggla'' is also common, ''Weggla''/''Weckla'' being the word for "bread roll" in the Nuremberg dialect), with mustard. Another way of cooking Nuremberg sausages is in a spiced vinegar and onion stock; this is called ''Blaue Zipfel'' (blue lobes). File:Nürnberger Rostbratwürste.JPG, ''Nürnberger Rostbratwurst'' File:Drei im Weggla.jpg, ''Drei im Weggla'' File:Blaue Zipfel.jpg, ''Blaue Zipfel mit Brezel''


=''Würzburger Bratwurst''

= The ''Würzburger Bratwurst'', also known as the ''Winzerbratwurst'', comes from the city of Würzburg in Franconia. Its size is similar to the ''Thüringer Rostbratwurst'', but its ingredients include white wine from the region.


Other varieties


=''Thüringer Rostbratwurst''

= The ''Thüringer Rostbratwurst'' is a spicy sausage from Thuringia. It is thin and long. It is traditionally grilled over a charcoal fire and eaten with mustard and bread. The name ''Thüringer Rostbratwurst'' is also recognised as a PGI under EU law. Triggered by the discovery in 2000 of an account entry of 1404 first mentioning the ''Bratwurst'' in Thuringia in the town of
Arnstadt Arnstadt () is a town in Ilm-Kreis, Thuringia, Germany, on the river Gera about south of Erfurt, the capital of Thuringia. Arnstadt is one of the oldest towns in Thuringia, and has a well-preserved historic centre with a partially preserved town ...
, the association "Friends of the ''Thuringian Bratwurst''" was founded in 2006. In the same year, the association established the ''Erstes Deutsches Bratwurstmuseum'' (First German Bratwurst Museum) in the village of Holzhausen. A two-metre-high wooden monument of a ''Bratwurst'' in a bun on a local traffic roundabout advertises the museum. In 2016, a
kosher (also or , ) is a set of dietary laws dealing with the foods that Jewish people are permitted to eat and how those foods must be prepared according to Jewish law. Food that may be consumed is deemed kosher ( in English, yi, כּשר), fro ...
version of Thuringian bratwurst made with veal and chicken packed into goat intestines was introduced at the annual Onion Festival in Weimar. File:Rostbratwurstbrot.png, ''Thüringer Rostbratwurst'' in a bun with mustard File:Thüringer Rostbratwurst.jpg, Close-up of ''Thüringer Rostbratwurst''


=''Nordhessische Bratwurst''

= The -long ''Nordhessische Bratwurst'' (from northern Hessen) is similar to the ''Thüringer Rostbratwurst'' in taste. It is made from coarsely ground pork and is heavily seasoned. Traditionally, it is grilled over a wood fire and served on a cut-open roll with mustard.


=''Rote Wurst''

= The ''Rote Wurst'' (red sausage) is a favorite ''Bratwurst'' of the
Swabia Swabia ; german: Schwaben , colloquially ''Schwabenland'' or ''Ländle''; archaic English also Suabia or Svebia is a cultural, historic and linguistic region in southwestern Germany. The name is ultimately derived from the medieval Duchy of ...
n region. It is similar to the '' Bockwurst'', and is made from finely ground pork and bacon, and has a spicy taste. To prevent splitting during grilling or pan frying, an X is cut into the ends of the sausage, which opens during cooking. Sometimes a row of x-shaped cuts are made along its length.


= Banater Bratwurst

=
Banat Swabians The Banat Swabians are an ethnic German population in the former Kingdom of Hungary in Central-Southeast Europe, part of the Danube Swabians. They emigrated in the 18th century to what was then the Austrian Empire's Banat of Temeswar province, la ...
, Danube Swabians living in the Banat, that immigrated to Germany brought with them Banater Bratwurst which was influenced by regional cuisine and as a result is made with hot and sweet
paprika Paprika ( US , ; UK , ) is a spice made from dried and ground red peppers. It is traditionally made from ''Capsicum annuum'' varietals in the Longum group, which also includes chili peppers, but the peppers used for paprika tend to be milder an ...
.


Switzerland

In 1438, bratwurst started to become popular in eastern Switzerland, especially in St. Gallen. " St. Galler Bratwurst", traditionally made from veal, has been famous since then. St. Galler bratwurst with a round bread is sold on the street, and also served in restaurants with rösti.


United States

Bratwurst, often shortened to "brat" in
American English American English, sometimes called United States English or U.S. English, is the set of variety (linguistics), varieties of the English language native to the United States. English is the Languages of the United States, most widely spoken lan ...
, is a common type of sausage in the United States, especially in the Upper Midwestern region, which is home to many people of German-American ethnicity. Wisconsin, where the largest ancestry group is German, is known for its bratwursts. Brats are also popular in other Midwestern states such as Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Indiana and Iowa, as well as cities with large populations like New York, Chicago, and Philadelphia. Originally brought to North America by German immigrants, it is a common sight at summer cookouts, along with hot dogs. Many grocery stores and butcher shops sell varieties with popular additions such as
cheddar cheese Cheddar cheese (or simply cheddar) is a natural cheese that is relatively hard, off-white (or orange if colourings such as annatto are added), and sometimes sharp-tasting. Cheddar originates from the English village of Cheddar in Somerset. Ched ...
and jalapeño peppers. Wisconsin is the home of the "beer brat", where the brats are simmered in beer (generally a mixture of a pilsner style beer with butter and onions) before or after grilling over charcoal. Bratwurst was popularized in Sheboygan County, Wisconsin, in the 1920s. In general, each local butcher shop would take orders and hand make bratwurst fresh to be picked up on a particular day. The fat content of the sausages was substantial, making daily pick up necessary to avoid spoilage; some of the fat is lost on cooking over charcoal. Bratwurst has also become popular as a mainstay of sports stadiums, especially baseball parks, after Bill Sperling introduced bratwurst to Major League Baseball in Milwaukee County Stadium in 1954, when the
Boston Braves The Atlanta Braves, a current Major League Baseball franchise, originated in Boston, Massachusetts. This article details the history of the Boston Braves, from 1871 to 1952, after which they moved to Milwaukee, and then to Atlanta. During it ...
moved to Milwaukee. The brats, which sold for 35 cents, were grilled and placed into a container of a special tomato sauce with green pepper and onions before being served. The bratwursts were so popular, Sperling said, that Duke Snider of the
Brooklyn Dodgers The Brooklyn Dodgers were a Major League Baseball team founded in 1884 as a member of the American Association (19th century), American Association before joining the National League in 1890. They remained in Brooklyn until 1957, after which the ...
took a case back to New York City. American Family Field in Milwaukee sells more bratwurst than hot dogs. Current American Family Field foodservice provider Delaware North (through their Sportservice subsidiary) markets Secret Stadium Sauce at retail as a complement to bratwurst. Every year, during the Memorial Day weekend, the city of Madison, Wisconsin, hosts
Brat Fest Brat Fest, which bills itself as "World's Largest Brat Fest", is an annual fundraiser held in Madison, Wisconsin. The event has been held every Memorial Day weekend since 1983, when it was launched by Tom Metcalfe, an area businessman who owned th ...
, which is billed as the "world's largest bratwurst festival". The town of
Bucyrus, Ohio Bucyrus ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Crawford County, located in northern Ohio approximately 28 miles (45 km) west of Mansfield and southeast of Toledo. The population was 11,684 at the 2020 census. The c ...
, (which calls itself the "Bratwurst Capital of America") has held the three-day Bucyrus Bratwurst Festival annually since 1967.


See also

*
Blood sausage A blood sausage is a sausage filled with blood that is cooked or dried and mixed with a filler until it is thick enough to solidify when cooled. Most commonly, the blood of pigs, sheep, lamb, cow, chicken, or goose is used. In Europe and the A ...
* Bockwurst * Boerewors *
Braadworst A braadworst () or verse worst is a large Dutch sausage, most often composed of pork for its meat to fat ratio, although beef or veal can be used too. The meat is spiced with pepper and nutmeg, but other spices and herbs such as cloves, sage, fe ...
*
Currywurst Currywurst () is a fast food dish of German origin consisting of steamed, fried sausage, usually pork (german: Bratwurst), typically cut into bite-sized chunks and seasoned with curry ketchup, a sauce based on spiced ketchup or tomato paste to ...
* Frankfurter Würstchen * Hot dog *
Kielbasa Kielbasa (, ; from Polish ) is any type of meat sausage from Poland and a staple of Polish cuisine. In American English the word typically refers to a coarse, U-shaped smoked sausage of any kind of meat, which closely resembles the ''Wiejska'' ...
*
List of sandwiches A ''list'' is any set of items in a row. List or lists may also refer to: People * List (surname) Organizations * List College, an undergraduate division of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America * SC Germania List, German rugby union ...
* List of sausage dishes *
List of sausages This is a list of notable sausages. Sausage is a food usually made from ground meat with a skin around it. Typically, a sausage is formed in a casing traditionally made from intestine, but sometimes synthetic. Some sausages are cooked durin ...
* Knackwurst * Regensburger Wurst * Weisswurst *
Wienerwurst A Vienna sausage (german: Wiener Würstchen, Wiener; Viennese/Austrian German: ''Frankfurter Würstel'' or ''Würstl''; Swiss German: ''Wienerli''; Swabian: ''Wienerle'' or ''Saitenwurst'') is a thin parboiled sausage traditionally made of p ...
*
Wollwurst ''Wollwurst'' is a speciality similar to ''Weißwurst'' made from veal and pork. These sausages are also called "Nackerte", "Geschwollene", "Geschlagene" or "Oberländer" and are usually longer and thinner than ''Weißwürste''. The recipe hardl ...
* Wurst mart


References


External links


Bratwurst recipes




{{Authority control German sausages American sausages Cuisine of Wisconsin Veal dishes German-American cuisine Namibian cuisine