Bratwurst. Bockwurst. Rindwurst. Currywurst. Wurst is the German word for “sausage.” Spend any time in Germany and you’re going to be dazzled by the variety.  Growing up, my palette lacked any sense of discrimination when it came to sausages.  You’ve got hot dogs.  Right?  That’s it.  But come to Germany, and be prepared to stare at the vastness of the Wurst universe.  Prepare to be paralyzed with indecision at the local Fleischerei. These days it’s quite common for me to travel down to the Leipzig Hauptbahnhof just to get a Bratwurst mit Brötchen, essentially a grilled pork sausage in a split bun.  The norm here is for the Bratwurst to spill out far beyond the edges of the bun. All of this for just €1.50.

Today’s visit to my favorite sausage stand happened after an afternoon spent reading in a local coffee house/bean roasting shop.  The aroma of the coffee was intoxicating.  I had two cups of coffee, each from a different type of bean.  Thinking about my afternoon meal made me wonder something: in Germany, is wurst something akin to coffee?  Those like me who drink coffee avidly have developed palettes that make it possible to distinguish nuances among types of coffee.  Does this happen with wurst?  And how long must one sample the varieties of wurst to distinguish an excellent Brat from a poor one?

I don’t know if I’ll get any better at appreciating the differences among German sausages, but I have begun developing a short primer on different sausages and sausage-related dishes.  I’m not certain how accurate my primer is, but I can already tell you that it doesn’t even scratch the surface of the range of sausages that one can find here. I’d appreciate any corrections or additions that friends might offer. I’d love nothing more than to leave Germany in May with a fully fleshed (haha, that’s a pun) Wurst guide for future Study Abroad travelers.  Here’s the start of my Wurst guide:

Bratwurst: fried or roasted pork sausage. Usually served with mustard (often an excellent spicy-horseradish mustard), but also offered with ketchup.  I’ve heard that there are numerous regional variations, so this needs to be expanded.

Thüringer Bratwurst: My personal favorite.  This is a Bratwurst that is particular to the Thuringia region of Germany.  This sausage has protected status, meaning that for a sausage to use the label it must be made according to proper specifications.  The sausage has a very unique, peppery taste and is often substantially longer than a normal Bratwurst.  This is a must try for anyone coming to Germany.

Bockwurst: I’m still not clear how this compares to the Bratwurst.  Today when I asked the vendor, he told me that Bockwurst is cooked in water, but I’m not certain if this accurately reflects the true difference between Bocks and Brats.  Would love to be enlightened here!

Currywurst: This is pork sausage served with a special ketchup and curry sauce, often sliced and spread over french fries (Pommes).  To be honest I’ve not had good experiences with Currywurst.  I was about to write this dish off until I sampled some Currywurst in Eisleben that was quite good.  I’m thinking that a lot of the success of this dish depends on the quality of the curry-ketchup sauce. Most of the times I’ve tried Currywurst it seems that the dish had little more than ketchup with a little curry powder sprinkled on top.  Not very appetizing, IMHO.

Blutwurst: Blood sausage.  A darker sausage made from congealed pigs’ blood and assorted fillers.  Tried this for the first time in Berlin.  Glad I tried it, but I don’t think I’ll try it again.  It has a pasty texture and a strong aftertaste, which I suppose one would suspect from anything made of congealed pigs’ blood.

Liverwurst: Liver sausage.  This one should be familiar to anyone who has read the fabulous children’s novel The Cricket in Times Square. This is Chester Cricket’s favorite food. I had liverwurst before coming to Germany.  It is, shall we say, an acquired taste.

Well, that’s my first crack at a Wurst guide.  Feel free to made any additions in the comments to this post.  I’ll add them and then repost the Wurst guide toward the end of the semester.