Bratwurst

Bratwurst is a type of German sausage made from veal, beef, or most commonly pork. Bratwurst is derived from the Old High German Brätwurst, from brät-, finely chopped meat, and Wurst, sausage, although in modern German it is often associated with the verb beaten, to pan-fry or roast. Beef and veal are usually incorporated amongst a blend often including pork.

What was once an item for survival during the cold winter months and a technique of not wasting meat scraps is nowadays a delicacy consumed throughout Germany and abroad. Bratwurst has origins with the Celtics, but the Franconians developed it further. It dates back to the 1300s in a region that would eventually become Eastern Germany. Bratwurst is usually consumed for breakfast due to the tradition of farmers who would make the sausages in the morning and eat them by noon, as they would otherwise spoil.

The oldest recipe for bratwurst was discovered in 2000 by a historian named Heinrich Höllerlhas. The Thuringian bratwurst (one of the most famous varieties) says that the makers had to use only the purest, unspoiled meat in the production process. Today, bratwursts are commonly served with sauerkraut, potato salad, horseradish, or mustard in Germany, but the sausages are also popular in the United States, especially in Wisconsin, where they are commonly found at summer cookouts and barbecues.