A recent wave of visitors, thanks to snow topped, Glühwein filled Christmas in Germany meant that a few big breakfasts needed to be made. As much as I love the full English or the full German meat, cheese and all the bread there is usually one which is either requested (by those who’ve been to Germany before) or never fails to surprise those new to the country. These special sausages should not hear the church bell chime at noon, so don’t expect to find them on a dinner menu, even with their alcoholic accompaniment.

A Weißwurst Frühstück (White sausage breakfast) is not a usual breakfast offering outside of Bavaria, you can thank the Weißwurstaquator, yes the white sausage equator, that runs along the north of the Bavarian border for that. Invented in Munich by, as the story goes, a butcher who ran out of his usual sausage casings and had to use thinner ones that he feared would break when fried so he cooked them in water. So the sausages did not brown as usual, hence the name, but they were a huge hit with customers. An accidental success.

Weißwurst (white sausage) a finely minced mix of veal and back bacon flavoured with parsley, onions and mace. Additions of lemon, cardamom and other ingredients is common, most butchers will use their own secret recipe. Fresh from the Metzgerei (Butcher shop) the sausages come in pairs and have a short shelf life, best eaten on the day of purchase due to the lack of preservatives. Supermarket alternatives however have an extended shelf life and usually come in packs of five.

Breakfast is served – Photo – Alie C

The skins of the Weißwurst are delicate, and whilst they aren’t inedible and can be eaten (more than a few friends have fallen foul to this lesser known part of their breakfast) they should be removed before eating. Whilst traditionalists will insist the only way to get the sausage out of its skin is to zuzeln (suck) it out from the end, but using a knife to slice the skin and peel it back is completely acceptable.

Most Weißwurst will be served in a dish of hot water, with maybe a few herbs sprinkled in for good measure. A Weißwurst should never be boiled as the skins will burst leaving a soggy waterlogged mess of sausage meat. A simple bath before breakfast is all that a Weißwurst needs.

Weißwurstsenf/Sußer senf (white sausage mustard/sweet mustard) a grainy sweet mustard which is especially reserved for eating with Weißwurst. Not spicy but not sickly sweet, the mustard adds sweetness to the savouriness of the sausage and provides a decent adhesive between sausage and pretzel. The most famous and popular brand is Handlmaier, look out for the red label.

Brezen (Pretzels) are a staple of the German diet. You are as likely to see a kindergartener as a CEO eating one. The salt covered soft pretzels are a great accompaniment to any a Weißwurst Frühstück.

Weißbier (Wheat beer) yes, real beer at breakfast, and before anyone starts getting scandalised I’ll liken it to having mimosas at brunch. A good Weißbier should taste reassuringly malty to cut through the richness of the sausage and come with a decent head of froth. A cloudy unfiltered Hefeweissbier/Hefeweizen is traditional but a clear filtered Kristallweissbier (crystal wheat beer) is just as good. If you’d prefer a non-alcoholic drink then an alkoholfrei (non-alcoholic) Weißbier would be a good call, these beers are marketed as a healthy alternative because they are lower in calories and they also have isotonic properties.

Fancy hotel Weißwurst, many tiny sausages were consumed that morning – Photo – Alie C

The good news is that it’s an easy breakfast to recreate at home, so living outside Bavaria shouldn’t stop you from trying some traditional Bavarian food. Sausages, mustard, pretzels and beer, with no actual cooking involved, a perfect lazy Sunday breakfast in my book. Oh and when I discovered frozen bake at home pretzels, which was a revelation!

Now that I’m safely not a resident of Bavaria anymore I can recommend a strong cup of tea with your Weißwurst Frühstück, perfection.

-Alie