Currywurst
Photo: Rainer Z ... · CC BY-SA 3.0

History

Currywurst was invented in Berlin in 1949 by Herta Heuwer at her Imbiss at the corner of Kantstrasse and Kaiser-Friedrich-Strasse in Charlottenburg. Heuwer obtained ketchup and curry powder from British soldiers, mixed her own spiced sauce and ladled it over a sliced grilled sausage. The dish was patented in 1959 (under the name Chillup) but the form had already spread across West Berlin. Konnopke's Imbiss at the Eberswalder Strasse U-Bahn arch has cooked currywurst since 1960, claiming East Berlin's earliest version. The dish remains the city's most consumed street food.

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Common allergens: Gluten in some sausages

Make it at home

Yield 4Hands-on 20 minTotal 30 minDifficulty Easy

Ingredients

  • 4 good-quality bratwurst sausages (Brueh or Bockwurst)
  • For the sauce: 500ml tomato passata, 200g tomato ketchup, 2 tablespoons mild curry powder, 1 tablespoon hot paprika, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1 onion finely chopped, 30ml olive oil, salt and pepper
  • 1 tablespoon mild curry powder for dusting
  • Pommes frites and white bread roll to serve

Method

  1. Soften the chopped onion in olive oil over low heat for 8 minutes until translucent and sweet.
  2. Add the tomato passata, ketchup, curry powder, paprika, Worcestershire and sugar. Simmer 20 minutes, stirring, until thick and glossy.
  3. Season with salt and pepper. Blend smooth or leave chunky to taste.
  4. Grill or pan-fry the bratwurst over medium heat 8 minutes, turning until evenly browned and 70C inside.
  5. Slice each bratwurst into 1cm rounds on the diagonal.
  6. Pour a generous ladle of sauce over the sliced sausage. Dust with extra curry powder on top. Serve with pommes and a soft white roll.

Tip from the editors. The sauce should be thick enough to coat the sausage; if it runs, simmer another 5 minutes uncovered.

Where to eat currywurst

Currywurst in Berlin

Curry 36 ★ 4.5

€€ IndianKreuzbergUntil Open until 05:00 daily

Curry 36 on Mehringdamm is Berlin's most dependable late-night Imbiss, open until 05:00 every day. Located in Kreuzberg. Booking recommended.

TryCurrywurst

Directions

Konnopke's Imbiss ★ 4.6

€ GermanPrenzlauer Berg

Konnopke's Imbiss under the Eberswalder Strasse arch has cooked East Berlin's historic currywurst since 1930. Located in Prenzlauer Berg. Booking recommended.

TryCurrywurst plate

Directions

Curry 61 ★ 4.1

€ Street foodHackescher Markt

Curry 61 near Hackescher Markt serves a well-spiced currywurst with a house sauce that leans sweeter than Kreuzberg versions. At Oranienburger Strasse 6.

TryCurrywurst

Directions

All Berlin signature dishes →

Currywurst in Munich

Bergwolf ★ 4.4

€€ VeganGlockenbachviertelUntil Fri-Sat 04:00, Mon-Thu 02:00

Bergwolf on Munich's Fraunhoferstrasse near Sendlinger Tor is the city's defining after-midnight currywurst counter; weekends to 04:00 with a vegan option.

TryCurrywurst with fries

Directions

Vinzenzmurr Marienplatz ★ 4.0

€ GermanAltstadt Lehel

Vinzenzmurr's New Town Hall counter on Munich's Marienplatz sells the city's classic Leberkäsweckl (Leberkäs in a roll) for around €4; lunch in the hand.

TryLeberkäsweckl

Directions

Wurststandl Teltschik ★ 4.8

€ GermanAltstadt Lehel

Wurststandl Teltschik at Munich's Viktualienmarkt serves Weisswurst pairs and Schweinswürstl from a counter for under €7; cash-only Bavarian morning lunch.

TryWeisswurst pair with mustard

Directions

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