Latest news with #Bratwurst
New York Times
a day ago
- General
- New York Times
This Easy Relish Is the Best Way to Use Up Any Produce
I have had the pleasure of being served several versions of chakalaka in my life. In each of those moments, before I'd even brought a spoonful to my lips, I was told that the version in front of me was 'the best.' That's how I know I've found a special dish: It brings out the pride of everyone who puts love and care into making it. Recipe: Bratwurst With Caramelized Onions and Chakalaka The best chakalaka, according to Khanya Mzongwana, a contributing food editor at the South African magazine Woolworths Taste, embodies a perfect balance of flavors. 'When it is good,' she said, 'it's equal parts salt, fat, acid, heat.' But that balance is never about imposing constraints. As she put it, 'every family has their take and adds their flair to it.' For those of us who love to cook, chakalaka, a South African staple, is a versatile dish, forgiving in all the right ways. It comes together quickly, is hearty on its own, yet it can accompany almost anything. And it can be made just as well with fresh seasonal vegetables or canned produce. In its simplest form, chakalaka is a condiment or relish. Spoonfuls are often placed alongside grilled meat or fish, but more elaborate versions can serve as a full meal. It can even be topped with boiled eggs or steamed fish, accented with garden herbs, or served alongside a starch like pap or rice. 'I put it on toast before heading to work and go, 'Wow, I just had my five-a-day,' ' Ms. Mzongwana said. Recipe: Chakalaka (South African Vegetable Relish) The chakalaka popular in South Africa today is a byproduct of migration and adaptation, with versions incorporating chiles from other parts of the continent, masala spices from Southeast Asia and baked beans from Europe. Laborers from neighboring countries, like Mozambique, Botswana, Lesotho and Eswatini, who worked in South Africa's mines during the apartheid era and needed hearty dishes that kept well over long periods and distances, were most likely responsible for its introduction. These days, chakalaka's cultural influences are still wide-ranging, but as with much of South African cuisine, its evolution continues. The 'best' chakalaka need never be daunting. Ms. Mzongwana uses whatever she has in her pantry, which can often mean a lot of different bits. 'I enjoy a dish where every mouthful can have about seven different vegetables,' Ms. Mzongwana said. Like Ms. Mzongwana, I find myself trying to give the vegetables I have on hand some kind of destiny. Every August, my backyard produces bell and chile peppers to use now or freeze. But chakalaka doesn't have to be made entirely from fresh ingredients. For this recipe, I decided to try incorporating canned pinto beans. Kidney beans, chickpeas or black-eyed peas could also work here. The ratios are important, and, once you understand that, you have license to be creative. Tender tomatoes can be replaced with other similarly soft vegetables, such as summer squash or eggplant. Starchier vegetables like carrots can be substituted with cabbage or winter squash. Experiment with what you have on hand. A spoonful of tomato paste will keep the acidity regardless of what vegetables you go with. 'It gives me the opportunity to eat vegetables with ease,' Ms. Mzongwana said. With experimentation, and a blend of ingredients you have on hand, chakalaka becomes more than a fun word to announce to a room of hungry guests. It's a dish that brings a sense of satisfaction to any meal. Follow New York Times Cooking on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, TikTok and Pinterest. Get regular updates from New York Times Cooking, with recipe suggestions, cooking tips and shopping advice.
Local Germany
2 days ago
- General
- Local Germany
Regensburg vs Erfurt: Why a battle over Bratwurst has broken out in Germany
You've probably eaten it everywhere; at Christmas markets, festivals and cafes – both in Germany and abroad. It's fair to say that the humble Bratwurst, usually served in a bun and often with mustard or covered with sauce and fried onions, is Germany's most famous snack, not to mention a cultural icon. But now a fresh dispute has emerged over its roots. And the question is: is it a Thuringian or Bavarian invention? The ' Wurst' origins Until recently, the Regensburg restaurant 'Wurstkuchl' has boasted the title of "oldest bratwurst stand in the world". The first documented mention of a cook preparing Bratwurst at this location dates back to 1378. But now researchers from Erfurt claim to have found evidence of a Bratwurst stand that dates back more than 100 years earlier. A document from 1269 mentions a hut ( Hütte ) and a roasting pan ( Bräter ) at the famous Krämerbrücke bridge, according to Martin Sladeczek, World Heritage Project Manager for the Thuringian capital, and historian Karl Heinemeyer. The document was found by chance during research into the history of the bridge. Experts have pointed out, however, that the document does not mention the item of food that was fried there. But Sladeczek said: "We know what people ate in the Middle Ages: sausages and fried meat." A collection of German sausages on a grill. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Sophia Carrara What does Regensburg think about it? The city of Regensburg pointed out that the oldest documented evidence of Bratwurst dates back to 1378. They said that there's a possibility it existed before this time, and could have been eaten by workers building the bridge in Thuringia. "After all, the many workers had to be fed," said the city spokesperson. They added: "However, there is no written or archaeological evidence for this as yet." Meanwhile, regional German broadcasters BR24 asked staff at the Wurstkuchl restaurant to comment on the latest discovery. "To be honest, it doesn't bother us at all," said Wurstkuchl's manager Alexandra Meier. She added that she's proud her family makes the sausages and that people come because of the quality of the products. Meier said: "I don't think people will say, 'I'm not going there anymore because it's only the second oldest.'" READ ALSO: Beer to Bratwurst - how stereotypes about Germany are changing over time Advertisement Thuringia vs Bavaria There have been plenty of debates over the origins of the famous sausage over the years. The Bavarian towns of Regensburg and Nuremberg both used to claim they had the oldest Bratwurst stand. But Regensburg was able to defend its title. Yet, according to Thomas Mäuer from the German Bratwurst Museum in Mühlhausen, an invoice in Thuringia dating back to 1404 is actually the first evidence of a Bratwurst. The invoice states that "1 groschen" was paid for Bratwurst casings in the city of Arnstadt. Mäuer argues that a Nuremberg document from 1313 which, he says, describes loin meat being chopped up for sausages makes no mention of the word 'Bratwurst'. Advertisement For Mäuer, the case is straightforward: the first recorded appearance of the word Bratwurst is in the Arnstadt document. As for the recent discovery in Erfurt, he's sceptical. 'I think it's very risky to conclude that Bratwurst was fried there,' he said. Expect the debates to continue...
BBC News
3 days ago
- General
- BBC News
German states debate who invented Bratwurst sausages
A row has broken out between two German states, Bavaria and Thuringia, as to who can lay claim to inventing the Bratwurst now, the "Wurstkuchl" tavern in Bavaria has claimed to be "the oldest Bratwurst stand in the world."Die Wurstkuchl is situated on the Stone Bridge in Regensburg on the Danube River. The oldest documented evidence of a cook or a food stall at the Stone Bridge is said to date back to now, historians in Erfurt, Thuringia's state capital, have come across a document from 1269 that mentions people who rented a building with a meat-roasting stand (Brathütte) and a roasting pan (Bräter) - more than 100 years earlier than the Regensburg sausage stand. Bratwurst recipes from BBC FoodPunters enjoy 'UK's longest bratwurst' Historians are now looking for the site in Erfurt where the sausage stand once stood. No restaurant there has claimed the title of oldest Bratwurst in Thuringia, the earliest written reference to Bratwursts dated back to 1404. It described how "1 groschen for bratwurst casings" was spent in the town of in Regensburg, the Wurstkuchl is continuing to make its sausages. On their website, it says "much has remained the same" since the Middle Ages, with "the open charcoal grill, the homemade sausages made from pure pork ham, the sauerkraut from their own fermentation cellar and the well-known Wurstkuchl mustard."In response to the report of an earlier sausage stand, the Wurstkuchl's landlady Alexandra Meier told German BR24 TV: "To be honest, it doesn't bother us at all."She said she was proud that her family makes sausages and that people come because of the quality of the products. "I don't think people will say, 'I'm not going there anymore because it's only the second oldest."It is not the first time there has been a row about Bavarian towns of Regensburg and Nuremberg both used to claim the oldest sausage stand title. Eventually, a decision was ruled in Regensburg's favour.
The Guardian
3 days ago
- General
- The Guardian
The big bratwurst brawl: why is this simple sausage so sizzlingly controversial?
Name: Bratwurst. Age: It depends. Appearance: Again, it depends. Depends on what? On where you are: the Coburger bratwurst, for example, is longer than those of other regions – measuring up to 25cm (10in). You know what they say: size matters. It's not the only thing that matters in Thuringia. They have their own bratwurst museum celebrating their distinctively average 15- to 20cm-long sausages. But what about age? How old, exactly, is the bratwurst? That's hotly contested: an early written reference is found in a 1404 bill for bratwurst casings, levied in the Thuringian city of Arnstadt. So bratwurst was invented in Thuringia some time before 1404. Not so fast. The world's oldest sausage shop – the Wurstkuchl in Regensburg, Bavaria – claims to have been selling bratwurst since at least 1378. So bratwurst was invented in Bavaria in the late-14th century, or thereabouts? Wait. Some years ago the Bavarians unearthed their own documentation: a decree from Nuremberg council declaring that only pork loin could be used to make sausage – from 1313. So the bratwurst was legislated into being in Nuremberg in 1313? Well, the Thuringian version of bratwurst has protected geographical status under EU law. So it's the real thing, and therefore takes precedent? It's messy, because the Nuremberg version – which is only 8cm long – also has protected status. Eight centimetres – you call that a sausage! I'm guessing Nuremberg wins though, as it has the older sausage. Well, there's a new document in town: researchers in the Thuringian capital of Erfurt recently discovered a reference to a brathütte (a meat-roasting stand) doing business on the Merchants' Bridge in – get this – 1269. Rubbish. That's more than 40 years before Bavaria's oldest claim – history must be rewritten! A meat-roasting hut is not evidence of someone inventing bratwurst. That's certainly the view over at the Bratwurst Museum. 'I consider it very bold to conclude from this that bratwursts were cooked there,' says managing director Thomas Mauer. To be honest, I can't believe I'm even pretending to have an opinion. Mauer also insists the 1404 document contains the earliest unambiguous reference to bratwurst. I don't care. But this debate has been raging for 25 years. It can carry on for another 25, as long as it's without me. Aren't you concerned about the decline in Bratwurst consumption, which has fallen to just 2.4kg per German per annum? I am not. Fair enough. Do say: 'Despite its obscure origins, the bratwurst deserves to be celebrated as a product that's truly German and deeply ancient.' Don't say: 'Not these though. These were made this morning.'
The Guardian
3 days ago
- General
- The Guardian
The big bratwurst brawl: why is this simple sausage so sizzlingly controversial?
Name: Bratwurst. Age: It depends. Appearance: Again, it depends. Depends on what? On where you are: the Coburger bratwurst, for example, is longer than those of other regions – measuring up to 25cm (10in). You know what they say: size matters. It's not the only thing that matters in Thuringia. They have their own bratwurst museum celebrating their distinctively average 15- to 20cm-long sausages. But what about age? How old, exactly, is the bratwurst? That's hotly contested: an early written reference is found in a 1404 bill for bratwurst casings, levied in the Thuringian city of Arnstadt. So bratwurst was invented in Thuringia some time before 1404. Not so fast. The world's oldest sausage shop – the Wurstkuchl in Regensburg, Bavaria – claims to have been selling bratwurst since at least 1378. So bratwurst was invented in Bavaria in the late-14th century, or thereabouts? Wait. Some years ago the Bavarians unearthed their own documentation: a decree from Nuremberg council declaring that only pork loin could be used to make sausage – from 1313. So the bratwurst was legislated into being in Nuremberg in 1313? Well, the Thuringian version of bratwurst has protected geographical status under EU law. So it's the real thing, and therefore takes precedent? It's messy, because the Nuremberg version – which is only 8cm long – also has protected status. Eight centimetres – you call that a sausage! I'm guessing Nuremberg wins though, as it has the older sausage. Well, there's a new document in town: researchers in the Thuringian capital of Erfurt recently discovered a reference to a brathütte (a meat-roasting stand) doing business on the Merchants' Bridge in – get this – 1269. Rubbish. That's more than 40 years before Bavaria's oldest claim – history must be rewritten! A meat-roasting hut is not evidence of someone inventing bratwurst. That's certainly the view over at the Bratwurst Museum. 'I consider it very bold to conclude from this that bratwursts were cooked there,' says managing director Thomas Mauer. To be honest, I can't believe I'm even pretending to have an opinion. Mauer also insists the 1404 document contains the earliest unambiguous reference to bratwurst. I don't care. But this debate has been raging for 25 years. It can carry on for another 25, as long as it's without me. Aren't you concerned about the decline in Bratwurst consumption, which has fallen to just 2.4kg per German per annum? I am not. Fair enough. Do say: 'Despite its obscure origins, the bratwurst deserves to be celebrated as a product that's truly German and deeply ancient.' Don't say: 'Not these though. These were made this morning.'
