Download the entire Berlin Food & Travel Guide for all my Currywurst recommendations
Berlin’s most popular home-grown street food dish is Currywurst, a sausage topped with curried ketchup.
Currywurst origin story
Like many dishes, the exact origin of currywurst is a bit murky. But, most culinary scholars recognize Herta Heuwer, the owner of a small snack bar in Berlin, as the originator of Currywurst.
Back in 1949, shortly after WWII, legend has it that Herta was given some rations from a British soldier. Included were ketchup (or, possibly, tomato paste), Curry powder, and Worcestershire sauce. Herta experimented in her kitchen and came up with a sauce made from these ingredients and some other spices. She called her sauce Chillup and used it to top the pork sausages she sold in her shop.
Ms. Heuwer expanded her Currywurst empire, selling saucy sausages to construction workers from a kiosk, and, at its height, she was moving 10,000 a week! Herta died in 1999 and her recipe went with her. She never disclosed the secret ingredients in her Chillup sauce, though Kraft tried, and failed, to buy the recipe from her.
Today, there is a Memorial Plaque to Herta Heuwer unceremoniously placed on the exterior brick wall of an Asian grocery store in Charlottenburg on the spot where she operated her Currywurst stand.
Currywurst ingredients and cooking style
Currywurst is essentially sausage topped with a spicy sauce. But, there are lots of variations. In fact, Currywurst joints can’t even agree on the sauce’s base. Some use tomato paste and water, others insist on tomato puree. I’m a heathen because I love the sweetness of ketchup. To that base, spices like garlic, ginger and turmeric may be added. If ketchup isn’t used, sugar, apples, or balsamic vinegar might be used to up the sweetness.
The sausage is usually pork, but halal Currywurst stands offer beef. And, most Currywurst stands now offer a vegan sausage option.
In Berlin, the sausage is typically “ohne darm” or without the casing. The sausage is sometimes boiled, but usually grilled, sliced and topped with the sauce. A few shakes of curry powder and, perhaps, paprika are added before serving on a little paper plate with a wooden utensil called currywurst fork.
It seems every street in Berlin has a Currywurst stand. Their little kitchens are hardly more than a grill and a fryolator. And, the menus are as simple as the kitchens, grilled meats, fries, and soft drinks.
Download the entire Berlin Food & Travel Guide for all my Currywurst recommendations
Getting to Berlin
Berlin Brandenburg Airport has direct flights to most major European cities as well destinations in North Africa and the Middle East. There are very few direct flights to North America.
The best way to get from the airport to Berlin is by taking the FEX, a fast train that runs to central locations like Potsdamer Platz and Südkreuz in under 20 minutes. Regional trains can get directly to Potsdam or Desden from the airport. More expensive taxis or ride-hailing services are also available.
About the Author
Brent Petersen is the Editor-in-Chief of Destination Eat Drink. He currently resides in Setubal, Portugal. Brent has written the novel “Truffle Hunt” (Eckhartz Press) and the short story collection “That Bird.” He’s also written dozens of foodie travel guides on Destination Eat Drink. Brent’s podcast, also called Destination Eat Drink, is available on all major podcasting platforms and is distributed by the Radio Misfits Podcast Network.