Suck, Cut or Peel

Weisswurst PIC Breze (that’s Bayerish for pretzel) and beer
– are always companions to Weißwurst

Honestly, the title does not suggest that this next post has anything to do with how much Bavarians are so gaga for plastic surgery, we’ll save “Schönheits Chirurgie” for another day. It’s once again Carnival or Faschingszeit, where the Bavarians get freaky with costume balls, Krapfen and the beloved of all delicacies: Weißwurst (white sausage) breakfast with sweet mustard.

This year the residents of Munich will celebrate 150 years of Weißwurst eating tradition, where Weißwurst has been a strong component in the Bavarian meal culture. Hardly any other food can come up with so many rules and regulations for the proper handling and eating regimen as the Weißwurst.

Traditionally, the Weißwurst is prepared early in the morning and so it’s not supposed to be served past twelve o’clock. In the past, all had to abide by this rule. After all, the sausage is made of fresh calf meat and pig bacon. Depending on the recipe, the sausage meat is seasoned with parsley, lemon and other tasty spices. It doesn’t contain any preserving nitrates so without appropriate cooling it is easily perishable. But now a days we have modern cooling technology so the 12-noon rule is bendable. That being said, Bavarians love their traditions, so the Weißwurst must be eaten in the mornings, period.

Now a few “technical” facts:

Weißwurst is about 12 cm long (about 4.7 inches long) and has a diameter of 28 to 32 mm (<1 inch in diameters) with a typical weight from 80 to 100 grams (2.8 oz to 3.5 oz.). One wurst is packed with 27.2 g of fat, 11 g of protein, 290 kcal of calories. The consistency of the sausage is fine, a bit loose and sticky.
You’ll never find Weißwurst swimming alone in its little pot, rather it always shares the spotlight with pretzels and sweet mustard awaiting plate-side. The beverage of choice next to this breakfast of champions, is naturally wheat beer (Weißbier). That’s right, beer for breakfast! But most importantly the white sausage must be eaten without the casing. Here are the different techniques for proper “extraction”: they should be treated as rules rather than as guidelines (see box).

Hear ye, Hear ye! Weißwurst etiquette
All must yield to the “Queen of all Sausages” and her unwritten rules for consumption! The proper Weißwurst eating etiquette is an art in itself. Here are the three most common methods:

Auszuzln (to suck out): Dipp the Weißwurst sufficiently into sweet mustard and then suck the contents out of the casing.

Schneiden (to cut): Cut the Weißwurst in the middle into two halves. Then stick a fork into one sausage half and slice the outer skin horizontally along the sausage from tip to end. If you are an expert, the skin can be taken off in one go with the fork still in the meat and the knife slipping the casing off.

Pellen (to peel): Cut the Weißwurst vertically into pieces, paying carefully attention not to completely cut through. The rest is child’s play, just peel the insides from the casing with the fork. rn

Last but not least, there is a long-held tradition for Weißwurst preparation and presentation. Weißwurst is not cooked nor is it roasted rather it is warmed in hot water (70 ° C / 158 ° F) for eight to ten minutes. Afterwards it is served with the same hot water in a Terrine – with a lid so it won’t cool too soon – and eaten warm. I heard a joke once that a waiter asked a foreigner how he liked the Weißwurst and the foreigner said, “The Weißwurst was tasty but the soup was a little bland.” Word to the wise, don’t drink the wurst water.

Apparently, it’s become a cool tradition to enjoy a Weißwurst breakfast after a night of clubbing Carnival style. I’m not sure if I’ll do that after Weiberfaschings, coming this Thursday but maybe this weekend. I like Weißwurst despite it’s awfully pale appearance and my inability to remove the skin in one smooth action. I’m a ‘pellen’ kind of gal and I’ve yet to see anyone use the ‘auszuzln’ technique. Perhaps that’s why I like it so, the challenge and the edible reward. Anyhoo Guten Appetit!

adapted from Rundschau