Hot and spicy sausages at the Central Market Hall in Budapest.

Sausages are one of the oldest and most well-known types of foods from Central and Eastern Europe.

Here are just a few of the best that deserve the culinary spotlight.

5. Knockwurst or Knackwurst

Knockwurst is a short, thick German sausage. This lip smacking treat gets its name from the crackling the sausage makes when it is bitten into. It contains finely minced beef and pork along with a generous amount of garlic. It is often served with a side of sauerkraut, potatoes, or bread.

4. Debrecener

Debrecener is a pork sausage of fine texture with a reddish-orange color. It is named after the Hungarian city of Debrecen. This sausage is heavily spiced with paprika and other seasonings like garlic, pepper and marjoram. If you like it spicy and hot, this is a must have sausage!

3. Kolbász

Another Hungarian original, kolbász is a type of sausage. The most popular versions are gsabai kolbász and gyulai kolbász. These sausages are packed in with intense flavoring like paprika. At the World Exhibition of Food in Brussel 1935, the gyulai kolbász was awarded a gold diploma. This sausage may be cut into thin slices, eaten alone, or with bread.

2. Kielbasa

Kielbasa is the word for Polish sausage. There are numerous varieties of this tasty sausage available including smoked and fresh. Most are made with pork and garlic. For the perfect condiment try eating your kielbasa with a bit of “chrzan”, which is a traditional Polish horseradish.

1. Bratwurst

A favorite worldwide, bratwurst is usually made with pork, beef, or veal along with several flavorful spices. The name is German, derived from Old High German as in “brat” meaning frying and “wurst” referring to sausage.

Although most North Americans refer to a bratwurst as a specific kind of sausage, in Germany and throughout Europe, the bratwurst just means the style of preparation. Bratwurst is also a very common dish in the state of Wisconsin where they have “Brat frys” on the weekends. Just don’t forget the spicy mustard and beer!

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The term bratwurst is derived from Old High German as in “brat” meaning frying and “wurst” referring to sausage.

What is a bratwurst?

Bratwurst is a type of German sausage that contains pork, beef, or veal with spices. The name is German, derived from Old High German as in “brat” meaning frying and “wurst” referring to sausage.

There are several types of bratwurst sausages available. Although, most North Americans refer to a bratwurst as a specific kind of sausage. In Germany and throughout Europe, the bratwurst just means the style of preparation.

History of the bratwurst

Tracing the history of bratwurst is difficult as there are so many different varieties of the sausage. However, one of the oldest known recipes dates back as far as 1432 from the region of Thuringia where it is traditionally known as Thüringer Rostbratwurst. Documents discovered recently in 2000 in the Weimar city archives by Hubert Erzmann, an amateur historian, reveal the law regarding production of Thuringian Rostbratwurst. These laws made bratwurst one of the world’s first regulated foods.

How to cook and prepare bratwurst

Bratwurst can be cooked in many different ways including grilled, pan-fried, smoked, or even baked. It is often simmered in beer to give it more flavor and a crisper texture. Bratwurst can be served with a side of sauerkraut, potato salad, or on a freshly baked brötchen (bread roll).

Below are a few interesting recipes to try. As well, you can always try my personal recipe for cooking bratwurst called “Beer Simmered Bratwurst” under German Foods and Beverages. Guten Appetit!

Beer-Simmered Bratwurst with Onions and Red Cabbage Sauerkraut – Food Network
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/bobby-flay/beer-simmered-bratwurst-with-onions-and-red-cabbage-sauerkraut-recipe/index.html

Grilled Bratwurst – Germany Travel
http://www.justgermany.org/germany/recipes/grilled.asp

Smoked Bratwurst – Smoker Cooking.com
http://www.smoker-cooking.com/how-to-smoke-bratwurst.html

Bratwurst in the United States

Due to a large population of German immigrants and descents, bratwurst has become highly popular throughout the United States. In Sheboygan, Wisconsin it is informally known as the “Bratwurst Capital of America”. The city celebrates “Sheboygan Bratwurst Days”, a community festival held on the first Thursday through Saturday of August each year. For more information about Sheboygan Bratwurst Days, you can visit the Brat Days website.

The state of Wisconsin is also home to the famous Johnsonville Sausage company which was founded in 1945 by Ralph F. & Alice Stayer. It produces a variety of bratwurst including beef bratwurst, beer brat, and Oktoberfest bratwurst as well as many other types of sausages.

Just for fun!

If you think museums are only for works of art and ancient artifacts, wait to you see this unique exhibition! In Holzhausen, Germany there’s a museum dedicated just to the Thuringian Bratwurst. The museum is run by the Friends of Thuringian Bratwurst. Who say’s making real bratwurst isn’t a work of art?!

Bratwurst Museum
http://www.bratwurstmuseum.net

The people of Wisconsin sure love their brats. You can visit their website called Bratwurst Pages which is dedicated to eating and enjoying bratwurst sausages (of course in Wisconsin style!).

The Bratwurst Pages
http://www.bratwurstpages.com

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