Bratwurst Totally Explained

A bratwurst (IPA: ) is a sausage composed of pork, beef, and sometimes veal. The name is German, derived from Old High German brätwurst, from brät- which is fine chopped meat and -wurst, sausage. Though the brat in bratwurst describes the way the sausages are made, it's often misconstrued to be derived from the German verb "braten", which means to pan fry or roast. Etymology aside, frying and roasting are far from the most common methods of preparation. Bratwurst is usually grilled and sometimes cooked in broth.
The original German "bratwurst" probably comes from the region of Thuringia, where it's traditionally known as Thüringer Rostbratwurst. Small bratwursts originate in Nuremberg, Germany; the more common longer, thicker form can be found almost anywhere else in Germany.
During World War I, when anti-German sentiment ran high, bratwurst was called "liberty sausage".

Eating practices and traditions

Germany

The sausage is often eaten with a hot or sweet German mustard, with ketchup and a piece of toast or sliced and eaten as Currywurst, sometimes also served on a hard German roll and accompanied by beer. It is a very popular snack in German-speaking countries, where Bratwurst in a roll is sold at various fast food outlets often called Schnell-Imbiss and is often consumed while standing.
The "Wurstkuchl" in Regensburg, Germany is the oldest bratwurst-restaurant still existing. It was established shortly after 1146 and has been serving Bratwurst to dock workers. Today it mostly serves as a tourist attraction but still roasts bratwurst the traditional way.

United States

In the United States, bratwurst (colloquially known as "brats") are usually eaten on a hot dog bun, brat bun or a hardroll, topped with mustard and/or many of the other condiments often eaten with hot dogs. These may include mayonnaise, shredded cheese, ketchup, onions (grilled or raw), pickle relish, sauerkraut, and others. The bratwurst is occasionally served as a pair of links nestled in a buttered hardroll with these same toppings; this is called a 'double brat'.
   Within the US, bratwurst, while not strictly a regional cuisine, is strongly identified with areas of the US where German and other Northern European immigrants settled in large numbers, like Sheboygan, Wisconsin, which is informally known as the "Bratwurst Capital of America". The city celebrates "Sheboygan Bratwurst Days", a community festival held on the first Thursday through Saturday of August each year. Bratwurst is especially popular in a region stretching from Chicago, Illinois up through Wisconsin into Minnesota; Milwaukee, Wisconsin is also a center of bratwurst appreciation. Johnsonville Foods, the nation's largest bratwurst maker, is based in Johnsonville, Wisconsin. Other traditional Wisconsin brat manufacturers include Klement's Sausage Company and Usinger's, both of which are based in Milwaukee.
   The city of Madison, Wisconsin, holds an annual festival billed as the "World's Largest Brat Fest". The four-day charity event sees tens of thousands of brats sold by "celebrity" cashiers, usually local television, radio, and government personalities. Brat Fest's self-proclaimed world record is 189,432 brats consumed during the 2004 event. Throughout Wisconsin, the "brat fry" is a popular fundraising technique; brats are grilled outdoors and sold for the benefit of a charity organization.
   Another town with German-American roots is Bucyrus, Ohio, which is known for its unique recipe incorporating caraway seed. It holds a bratwurst festival annually in mid-August attracting over 100,000 visitors annually. A Bucyrus-style bratwurst is served split on a rye bun with sauerkraut, mustard, and chopped white onions.
   The type of bratwurst most commonly found in the United States are the larger variety (as opposed to the smaller "Nuremburg-style" bratwurst), approximately 1 inch in diameter, reddish-brown in color, and made of some combination of beef and pork. Bratwurst made exclusively with chicken or turkey are increasingly found in American grocery stores.

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