Currywurst
No other dish in Germany is as well known as currywurst, a street snack that has become an indispensable part of Germany’s culinary heritage. The dish is made from two essential parts - boiled and subsequently fried sausage, served whole or sliced, and a smooth and rich curry-spiced tomato sauce.
With a portion of french fries or a kaiser roll on the side, the dish is usually lightly dusted with yellow curry powder. A wide range of sausages are used for currywurst, but the famous German bratwurst is the most commonly used variety.
The real star of this dish is its gravy-like sauce made with puréed tomatoes and infused with the aromatic curry powder. The popularity of currywurst in Germany has generated numerous legends about its origins. Even though Hamburg is sometimes mentioned as its birthplace, Berlin is the city that is most commonly associated with the invention of this delicious dish. Read more
The most famous legend tells the story of Herta Heuwer, a Berlin local who is widely credited as the inventor of the tomato and curry concoction. In 1949, amid the aftermath of World War II, many ingredients were hard to come by and life was tough.
However, thanks to Herta’s negotiating skills, she was able to get hold of a hard to come by ingredient – British yellow curry powder. She then mixed it with puréed tomatoes and other spices to create the base sauce, which she served with the sliced sausage.
The dish became an instant success. Herta patented her creation and never revealed her original recipe. Later, as currywurst grew in popularity, numerous varieties popped up all over Berlin and the rest of Germany. No two are the same, and every local has their own favorite style and a favorite currywurst place.
Germans are so fond of this fast food staple that they have even built a museum in its honor. Located in Berlin, the Currywurst Museum offers a glimpse into the history of the legendary currywurst, as well as a detailed overview of the numerous varieties, cooking styles, and serving options of this famous dish.
