Currywurst: Germany's Best Street Food

One street food that has taken on a life of it's own comes from Berlin, Germany. No, it's not pretzels, but rather the delicious sausage treat known as 'currywurst'.

What is Currywurst?

Most people agree that Currywurst rose from the ashes of WWII when in 1949, Herta Heuwer threw together a mixture of ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, and curry powder she got from British troops. She then mixed the sauces together, added a few more spices, and began putting it on grilled pork sausage. She liked it so much, she decided to start selling it to workers who were rebuilding the city. Over time her business became extremely successful, selling 10,000 portions per week at its peak. Eventually there were competitors all over the city, making currywurst a household name not just in Berlin, but all over Germany.

Each year, an estimated 800 million servings of currywurst are sold in Germany. It has become a staple of German life. So much so that every time there is a mayoral election, all candidates traditionally pose by at least one currywurst stand for a photo op. There's even a museum in Berlin dedicated to it!

The average German eats roughly 65 lbs of meat per year, and a lot of that is sausage. The farmers and butchers who raise and sell pork in Germany often come from families who have been doing it for years. They pass down the traditions and secrets that make meats better, and those practices almost always include treating the animals with the care and respect that they deserve. A happy pig is a tasty pig!

Want to try currywurst but can't get to Germany? This popular dish has been catching on in the US, and there are several restaurants and vendors specializing in it. If you're in Los Angeles, check out Berlin Currywurst. It has a 4.5 star average rating with over 220 reviews! Or you can make it yourself. Head to a local butcher shop and get some fresh brats. Then follow this easy recipe:

Currywurst Recipe

1. Boil your brats till they are done.
2. Simmer all this in a sauce pot until it's smelling delicious and done: 3 small cans tomato sauce, 2 tablespoons chili powder, 1 teaspoon onion salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon curry powder
3. Fry your brats in a frying pan to make them crispy.
4. Cut your brats into 1 inch thick pieces, cover in sauce, sprinkle with curry powder, enjoy.