Nürnberg Rostbratwurst are similar to finger sausages that originate from the charming Bavarian city of Nuremberg (German spelling: Nuremberg ). Each tiny sausage weighs about one ounce (25 grams) and is 3 to 4 inches (7 to 9 cm) long. Made from coarsely ground pork, it is seasoned with marjoram, salt, pepper, ginger, cardamom, and lemon powder and is one of the most popular sausages in Germany. More than 3 million Nürnberg Bratwursts are produced every day.
Learn about the history of Nuremberg Bratwurst, how to eat them, and where to find them in Germany.
Historia de Nuremberg sausage
Nuremberg’s history dates back almost 1,000 years and this iconic sausage is almost as legendary. The first mention of Nürnberger Bratwurst was around 1313 in the Bratwurstglöcklein restaurant which still exists today. Although many German sausages use marjoram, it is an important component of this sausage .
By 1462, the sausage had become so popular that many metzger (butchers) were offering Nürnberger Bratwurst . It quickly became a serious matter with government oversight of the quality and consistency of the sausage. Only butchers specializing in pork were allowed to produce the sausage and had to present their products daily to a council of butchers. The inferior quality sausages were dumped directly into the Pegnitz River.
Market prices for snacks fell in the 16th century to such a level that butchers could no longer afford to produce the sausage. As a solution, they made the sausage smaller and thinner so they could sell more of these little ones. This creative solution saved many companies and preserved the legacy of this distinctive Nürnberger Bratwurst .
There are also some more outlandish legends tied to the small size of the sausages. One reports that Nürnberger Bratwurst was able to get through the keyhole by enterprising innkeepers to feed guests locked outside the walls after curfew. Another says they were pushed through special holes in the wall for inmates. Get a glimpse of the validity of this story with a tour of Nuremberg’s medieval dungeon.
The standards remain high as the sausage is protected under the Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) like the German beer from Cologne, Kölsch or the famous Spreewald pickle. They are only produced in the area around Nuremberg and must comply with the basic original recipe.
How to serve Nürnberger Bratwurst
Served everywhere from imbiss stalls to biergartens , these tasty sausages are best cooked on a charcoal grill, perfect for the summer grilling season. They are often eaten three at a time on a roll as a to-go meal known as » Drei im Weggla «. Or you can order six to 12 as a meal on plates, they can also be fried and served with sauerkraut, horseradish potato salad and senf (traditional German mustard). A version with onion and vinegar is called blaue Zipfel .
A must do at the world famous Nuremberg Christmas Market to warm your hands and stomach and bring out the icy touch of winter. They can also be enjoyed in one of Nuremberg’s many established restaurants.
Where to eat Nürnberger Bratwurst in Nürnberg
Bratwurst bell in the Handwerkerhof
Address : Waffenhof 5, 90402 Nürnberg
Phone : 0911 227625
This restaurant has been cooking Nürnberger Bratwurst since 1313 and is the oldest sausage kitchen in Nuremberg. Wursts are traditionally cooked, grilled on a charcoal grill and served in the classic tin plate with sauerkraut, potato salad, horseradish, fresh bread, and of course a Franconian beer.
Bratwursthäusle near St. Sebald
Address : Rathauspl. 1, 90403 Nürnberg
Phone : 0911 227695
With its own butcher on the premises, the quality is high at this historic Nuremberg restaurant. Enjoy a Nürnberger Rostbratwurst plate just like Albrecht Dürer did at this exact location.
Goldenes Posthorn
Address : Glöckleinsgasse 2, 90403 Nuremberg
Phone : 0911 225153
Another haunt of Dürer and Hans Sachs, this is one of Germany’s oldest wine bars and a restaurant loved by kings, artists, locals, and tourists since 1498. Famous for its Nürnberger dish, it all comes from nearby farms with local butchers who They supply the sausage. Never has a fried sausage tasted so fresh.
Bratwurst Röslein
Address : Rathauspl. 6, 90403 Nürnberg
Phone : 0911 214860
In the heart of the old town, this Franconian restaurant has also served delicious Nürnberger Rostbratwurst for hundreds of years since 1431. It prides itself on being the largest Bratwurst restaurant in the world with capacity for up to 600 guests.
