Flavors · Turíngia

Thüringer Rostbratwurst

Long, thin pork sausage, 15 to 20 centimeters long, seasoned with marjoram, cumin and garlic, grilled over charcoal and eaten in a small roll with mustard. The earliest known mention dates from 1404, and the name has protected geographical indication status since 2004.

Traditional dish from Turíngia

Also known as: Thüringer Bratwurst, Thüringer Rostbratwürste

Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.

Get it on Google Play

Click a photo to enlarge it.

Germany
Germany
Thüringer Rostbratwurst — Turíngia, Germany
Thüringer Rostbratwurst
Thüringer Rostbratwurst — Turíngia, Germany
Thüringer Rostbratwurst
Thüringer Rostbratwurst — Turíngia, Germany
Thüringer Rostbratwurst
Thüringer Rostbratwurst — Turíngia, Germany
Thüringer Rostbratwurst

Thüringer Rostbratwurst — Turíngia, Germany

Thüringer Rostbratwurst is the grilled sausage of Thuringia, a state in east-central Germany. It is long and thin—15 to 20 centimeters and 100 to 150 grams—made from pork, sometimes with a portion of veal or beef. Seasoning includes salt, pepper, marjoram, cumin and, depending on the region, garlic. Whether to include cumin is a serious debate among locals.

The history is documented. The earliest known mention of a Bratwurst in Thuringia is an accounting entry dated January 20, 1404, from a convent in the town of Arnstadt, recording an expense for sausage casings. The document was found in 2000 and is now part of the German Bratwurst Museum in Mühlhausen. An old recipe appears in a 1613 regulation of the butchers’ guilds of Weimar, Jena and Buttstädt.

Since 2004, Thüringer Rostbratwurst has been a protected geographical indication of the European Union: under that name, only sausages made in Thuringia according to the specification may be sold. In 2022, the Bratwurst culture of Thuringia was entered in the state inventory of intangible cultural heritage.

The way to eat it is simple. The sausage is grilled over charcoal until the casing cracks, and served inside a small roll that is short for it, with Thuringian mustard. Rostbratwurst stands are found in city squares, in Erfurt and Weimar, at fairs, festivals and football matches.

Share: WhatsApp

Where it comes from

Turíngia
Thüringer Rostbratwurst is a protected geographical indication for the entire state of Thuringia, where it has been documented since 1404.

Ingredients

Pork (sometimes with veal or beef), salt, pepper, marjoram, cumin and, depending on the region, garlic, in natural casing. To accompany: small roll and Thuringian mustard.

How it is eaten

Grilled over charcoal, served in a small roll with mustard; eaten standing up, holding the roll. The sausage typically extends beyond both ends.

When it is eaten

Year-round, especially from spring through autumn, at fairs, festivals, markets and football matches.

Your questions

Questions about Thüringer Rostbratwurst

What is the size of the Thüringer Rostbratwurst?

It measures 15 to 20 centimeters and weighs 100 to 150 grams, considerably longer than the Nürnberger Rostbratwurst.

Since when has the Thüringer Rostbratwurst existed?

The earliest known mention of a Bratwurst in Thuringia is from January 20, 1404, in an accounting entry of a convent in Arnstadt.

How is the Thüringer Rostbratwurst eaten?

Grilled over charcoal, served in a small roll with Thuringian mustard. It is eaten standing at stands in squares, fairs and festivals.

Flavors of Germany

Discover other flavors of Germany