GERMANY
Franconia, a German region largely contained within northern Bavaria, is home to dozens of varieties of sausages. These are hyper-local specialities, often eaten only in particular areas, cooked using exacting methods, and featuring flavours from marjoram to cheese
“WELCOME TO THE OLDEST BRATWURST KITCHEN IN THE WORLD,” SAYS SOFIA HILLEPR ANDT, AS I DUCK BENEATH THE WOODEN CEILING BEAMS.
“This wood was cut in 1379.” One of the beams has a cushion attached to it, no doubt because it’s concussed a patron or two. On the walls are weathered pots and pans, alongside knick-knacks and trinkets such as old beer mugs and faded portraits.
Sofia runs Zum Gulden Stern, a 600-year-old bratwurst kitchen, or bratwurstküche, in the heart of Nuremberg’s Old Town. The building is so aged the brick facade leans inward, creating a simultaneously unnerving yet cosy ambiance, which pairs well with the open kitchen’s flaming grill. It’s just before noon and already the restaurant is buzzing with hungry diners. A few dozen sausages are sizzling on the grill. In Nuremberg, you don’t just order one sausage, you order a dozen, and as well as grilled you can order them smoked or ‘sour’ — stewed in white wine, vinegar and onions.
In Germany, sausage varieties are like dialects, and your preference often tells a story about where you’re from. Müncheners love weisswurst (white sausage); beef sausage is the choice in Frankfurt; and Berliners, especially, love currywurst, an uncased pork sausage coated in curry sauce. Meanwhile, Franconia — a region that predominantly encompasses the northern chunk of Bavaria as well as some neighbouring states (but don’t dare call the people here Bavarian) — is arguably the epicentre of the country’s contentious sausage debate. Locals pledge allegiance to obscure varieties that are, in some cases, known by perhaps a few thousand people at most.
“So many sausage varieties are crafted here,” says chef and TV presenter Alexander Herrmann, who operates three restaurants across Franconia. “But it’s not just about variety. You have craftsmen who make the sausages. They have experience, quality, craftsmanship that’s very well felt.”
At Zum Gulden Stern, the speciality is Nürnberger bratwurst, a pork sausage that, as per its EU protected geographical indication, must be no longer than 9cm, weigh no more than 25g, and have been produced within Nuremberg’s city limits to a traditional recipe, stipulated by the city’s butchers’ guild in 1497. Compliance is strictly monitored. The key ingredient is a hefty dose of marjoram, which gives the meat its signature flavour.
Sofia — who’s spent her entire life in the restaurant, even showing me pictu
