Showing posts with label Bratwurst. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bratwurst. Show all posts

Aug 25, 2012

Picnics and Barbecues

Just about all the ingredients to make a perfect ‘All-American’ picnic come from German origins.

There is the hot dog, wiener, or a Frankfurter; a pork sausage that originated in 13th century Germany. We also cannot forget the Brats or Bratwurst and Knackwurst, both great grilled. All of these washed down with a chilled beer, while not originating in Germany, was certainly made popular there many years ago.

Ketchup was developed by Heinz, and Mayonnaise, developed by Hellman, both German immigrants. Some of those items are based off earlier recipes (Ancient Rome: ketchup; France: mayonnaise) but the favorites eaten today are definitely German.

Then, of course, there is the Potato Salad. There are many different versions to this dish, one of the most popular variations is the traditional German potato salad.

Mar 6, 2012

Bratwurst Bust

The beloved Nürnberger Bratwurst is the latest victim of escalating tensions over Iran's nuclear program. German butchers complained that the diplomatic crisis was driving up the price of sausage casing. In shock news for Germans everywhere, the sausage industry is feeling the rising cost of importing sheep intestines from Iran, leading Nürnberger Bratwurst producer Claus Steiner reported.

The Nürnberger Bratwurst is made of finely ground pork, cased in intestinal lining and seasoned with marjoram. By European Union regulations, it can only be called a Nürnberger Bratwurst if it's made in the Nuremberg area.

Sheep intestinal lining, a key ingredient in making the sausage, is largely imported from Iran, which has a 500-year history of trading animal by-products. This may change, as the price of sheep gut has almost tripled during the past 18 months.

A year and a half ago 90 meters of intestinal lining cost just €6.30, but now the same length costs a whopping €17.20. War is hell.

May 6, 2011

McDonald's Choices Around the World

The Japanese know how to add menu items at McDonald's. They have the bacon, cheese, and potato pie. Wish we did.

McDonald's also serves spaghetti in the Philippines, hot dogs in Japan, pork burgers in Thailand, seaweed seasonings all over Asia, lobster salad on a bun and Poutine in Canada, ham and cheese on flat bread in France, pizza pockets in Morocco, fried salmon on a bun in Norway, fried beef stew on a bun in Poland, bacon and ketchup on a bun in England, bratwurst in Germany (of course), and beer in many countries, but not, alas, the US. Not sure how many let you supersize the orders.