Currywurst

Currywurst is a German fast-food dish consisting of steamed, then fried pork sausage (Bratwurst) cut into bite-sized pieces and topped with a spiced ketchup-based sauce and curry powder. It is typically served with fries or a bread roll.

The dish was reportedly invented in Berlin in 1949 by Herta Heuwer, who is said to have mixed ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, and curry powder over grilled sausage. It quickly became a staple of post-war German street food. A great version is distinguished by the sauce’s balance—tangy, slightly sweet, and aromatic with curry—and by the sausage’s snap, achieved through proper grilling or frying after steaming. The final dusting of curry powder should be generous and fresh.

Regional variations exist across Germany, but Berlin remains the epicenter. **Curry 36**, a legendary Berlin currywurst stand praised by *Messinger Guides*, is renowned for its consistently spicy sauce and perfectly cooked sausages, drawing long lines of locals and tourists alike. Other cities may offer variations in sausage type or sauce consistency, but the Berlin style—with a thinner, more vinegar-forward sauce—is considered the classic. Currywurst is often eaten with a small wooden fork, directly from a paper plate.