Berliner currywurst

Berliner currywurst is the quintessential German street food. With the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall this week, what better way to celebrate – culinarily – than with currywurst? This simple, quick and tasty recipe will give you all the goodness of German street food at home.

The Berliner currywurst tradition

Herta Heuwer invented currywurst in Charlottenburg in Berlin in 1949. According to the story, British soldiers stationed in Germany provided her with ketchup (or Worcestershire sauce) and curry powder. She mixed these together with other spices and made them into a sauce and served it over grilled pork sausages.

The currywurst became popular with construction workers rebuilding the city. So popular in fact, that Herta Heuwer was selling 10,000 servings per week at her street stand. Lamentably, she took her recipe with her to the grave.

In 1960, Konnopkes was the first ‘Imbiss’ to serve Berliner currywurst in East Berlin.

The German love of currywurst

Germans love currywurst. This love has even lead Uwe Timm to write a book called “Die Entdeckung der Currywurst,” (The Discovery of the Currywurst). It was turned into a play and was then filmed.

The currywurst is also the subject of a well-known song by German singer Herbert Grönemeyer.

Each year, an estimated 800 million currywurst are consumed in Germany; at least 70 million of these are Berliner currywurst. Automotive manufacturer Volkswagen even has its own butchery to produce currywurst for VW workers. It produces around 7 million currywurst per year.

In 2009, a museum dedicated to German currywurst opened near Checkpoint Charlie in Berlin. Unfortunately, it closed at the end of 2018.

In 2019, the Berlin State Mint even released a silver coin to commemorate 70 years of the currywurst.

Regional differences

Currywurst is particularly popular in Berlin, Hamburg and the Ruhr Area.

There are some differences with respect to the sauce ingredients, spiciness of the sauce and the cut of the sausage. There are also significant sausage differences. These include Halal, boiled or grilled sausages and whether or not the sausage has a natural casing.

Tips for the perfect Berliner Currywurst

As you can see from the recipe, there are two versions of the sauce, depending on how much time you have to cook it. The pictures you see here are of the quick curry sauce; the sauce is otherwise a little smoother.

Adjust the amount of chili in your sauce to suit your personal tastes.

You traditionally eat Berliner Currywurst with chips/fries or a white bread roll. In East Berlin, the currywurst was often served with a simple slice of bread.

A recipe for the perfect German street food

Berliner currywurst is the perfect German street food. You can now buy a currywurst around the nation at fairs, pubs, football games and almost every train station. Try this simple, quick and tasty recipe today to get a taste of German street food.