Currywurst
Berlin, Germany
Currywurst is a sliced pork sausage served with a smooth tomato-based sauce seasoned with curry powder. The sauce can be sweet, tangy or hot, and the sausage may be steamed, fried or grilled before it is cut. Fries or a bread roll make it a complete quick meal.
Why locals eat it
The snack became a symbol of postwar Berlin’s practical street-food culture, though competing origin stories mean its exact invention should not be treated as settled fact. Its lasting appeal is less about ceremony than speed, portability and the city’s taste for adapting familiar food with new spices.
Local tip
Ask whether the sausage is pork and choose your heat level before the sauce is added. Taste the sauce on its own, then use fries or bread to balance the vinegar and spice.
Typically made with
pork sausage, ketchup, curry powder, worcestershire sauce, french fries. Recipes vary — always check with the vendor if you have allergies.