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The sausage is an icon of Germany. Pig farming has been a
major means of sustenance for centuries and sausage making
has been developed as a way of making the inexpensive cuts
of pork more appealing, while the best bits were reserved
for ham and bacon.
The average German consumes 67 pounds of sausage per year
- half of the annual meat consumption, and there are more
than 1,500 different kinds of sausage in Germany, mostly local
and regional variations on ingredients, smoking and spicing
methods. Overall, sausages can be divided into 3 categories:
Bruhwurst, (fresh sausage), Kochwurst
(pre-cooked sausage) and Rohwurst (raw cured
sausage).
Some of the most famous sausages come from major towns and
cities and have interesting histories and traditions attached.
Amongst these are the Frankfurter from Frankfurt
and the Weisswurst from Munich.
Frankfurters
Frankfurters - One of the most famous sausages in the world
- but if you try one outside of Germany it's likely to be
a dodgy, bland appropriation of the famous delicacy. Real
frankfurters contain spicy pork and back bacon. The skins
are made from sheep guts, and the diameter of the sausage
should be no more than 24 millimetres to allow the smoke from
the cold smoking process to properly penetrate. To be enjoyed
to the max they should be simmered for 8 minutes then served
in pairs with mustard, on warmed plates.
In the 13th century, the only district in Frankfurt where
butchers were allowed to sell their wares was Schirn
and this is the probable birthplace of this remarkable morsel.
In 1562, Emperor Maximilian II insisted on being served roast
oxen stuffed with sausages at his coronation. The name 'Frankfurter'
was bestowed on the recipe by happy customers who came from
outside the city, and it stuck.
Weisswurst (White
Sausage)
A fresh sausage of veal and pork mixed with onion, parsley
and spices, served hot with mild, sweet mustard, bread or
pretzels and squeezed out of its skin. The weisswurst is traditionally
eaten before midday, since when it was invented in 1857, there
were no preservatives to keep it fresh and tasty throughout
the day. It is a particular favourite in Bavaria, where it
is sold and eaten according to a barrel-load of traditions.
The best weisswurst in Munich are allegedly served at the
café in the Grossmarkethalle, the
wholesale market for fruit, vegetables and flowers.
Serving Suggestion:
Sausages can be tried in many restaurants, but roadside fast
food stalls sell the best kind of junk food sausage. A popular
snack is the currywurst - a cheap frankfurter
style sausage with curry sauce - comparable to the satisfaction
of eating a kebab after a boozy night out. Don't expect your
sausages in an American style soft bread roll - the Germans
typically present their rather large sausages on a dish or
tray with a very small piece of bread and only mustard to
cover its dignity. I say!
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