Wurst
(Sausage)
German wurst is not merely a part of German cuisine, but a key component of German national heritage. It incorporates more than 1500 different wurst varieties and includes not only sausages, but any type of smoked, cured, or preserved meat. The sausages can be divided into four categories: raw, cooked or parboiled, boiled, and the special ham category, divided into smoked, cooked, or dried ham.
The raw wurst can be firm, including Salami and Plockwurst, or spreadable, including the likes of Mettwurst and Schmierwurst. Both types include a mixture of raw minced meat and fat, but the firm varieties are usually ripened for a longer period in order to have a longer shelf life.
Cooked wursts refer to variations which use cooked ingredients, and can include meat and animal offal, most commonly liver or tongue. Read more
This category also encompasses Blutwurst, the blood sausage, made with a variety of meats and animal blood. Boiled or parboiled varieties include meat products which are finely minced to gain a homogeneous structure. This type of wurst is then usually parboiled in boiling water, while some might even be smoked.
However, the famous German Bratwurst, which can be prepared raw or cooked, is usually regarded as a group of its own, encompassing more than 50 different variations found across the country. Different wurst varieties are eaten everywhere in Germany–they are commonly served for breakfast or dinner, which typically includes cold cuts served alongside bread, and for lunch, when they are usually served with sauerkraut, potatoes, and braised cabbage.
They are also commonly added to soups, stews, and casseroles. Different varieties of mustard are typically served as an accompaniment to wursts. German sausages are also an important part of street food culture, and most German cities are equipped with stands and street stalls offering a wide variety of grilled, cooked, or fried sausages, which are particularly popular during the Christmas festivities.
The oldest known written mention of wurst goes back to 1432, but it is believed that the tradition of curing meat in Germany goes even further back in time.
