Currywurst, street food from Germany: what it is and how it is eaten

Currywurst is a German fast food dish made of sliced sausage, usually pork, covered in a curry-flavored ketchup sauce. It was created in Berlin in 1949 and is now a popular street food across Germany, especially in Berlin, Hamburg, and the Ruhr Area. Currywurst is often served with fries or bread rolls.

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Invented in Berlin in 1949 by Herta Heuwer
About 800 million currywursts are eaten yearly in Germany
Usually served sliced with curry ketchup and curry powder
Popular in Berlin, Hamburg, and the Ruhr Area
Volkswagen produces its own currywurst for employees

What is Currywurst?

Currywurst is a dish of sausage, most often made from pork, that is sliced and topped with a sauce made from ketchup or tomato paste mixed with curry powder and other spices. The sauce is usually poured over the sausage, which may be grilled or fried, and then dusted with additional curry powder. It is commonly served with French fries or a bread roll. The dish is known for its bold, spicy-sweet flavor and its bright red sauce.

Where does Currywurst come from?

Currywurst was first made in Berlin in 1949 by Herta Heuwer, who mixed ketchup or possibly Worcestershire sauce and curry powder she got from British soldiers, then poured it over grilled pork sausage. She began selling it at a food stand in Charlottenburg, where it quickly became popular with workers rebuilding the city. Heuwer patented her sauce as 'Chillup' in 1951. Over time, currywurst spread throughout Germany and became a staple of local fast food culture.

How is Currywurst made?

To make currywurst, sausage is grilled or fried, then sliced into bite-sized pieces. The sauce is prepared by blending ketchup or tomato paste with curry powder and sometimes other spices such as paprika. This sauce is poured generously over the sausage. Some versions add chopped onions or extra spices. The finished dish is often sprinkled with more curry powder before serving. Currywurst is typically served on a paper plate with a small fork.

„Taxiteller“ mit Pommes frites , Currywurst , Schaschliksauce , Majo , Gyrosfleisch und Tsatsiki. Photo: DoubleG at German Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

How and when is Currywurst eaten?

Currywurst is eaten as a quick meal or snack, often from street stands, diners, or snack bars called Schnellimbisse. It is especially popular in cities like Berlin and Hamburg, and is commonly served with French fries or a bread roll. The dish is usually eaten with a small wooden or plastic fork, and is enjoyed by people of all ages. It is available at supermarkets for home preparation and appears on children's menus in restaurants.

Kinds of Currywurst

There are many regional versions of currywurst in Germany. Some use beef sausage, especially at halal and kosher stands. The sauce may include paprika or chopped onions, and the type of sausage can vary. The Volkswagen plant in Wolfsburg produces its own version, known as Volkswagen currywurst. Currywurst is sold both freshly prepared at stands and as a packaged product in stores.

What Currywurst means

Currywurst is deeply woven into German popular culture. It is a symbol of Berlin and is widely recognized across the country. The dish has inspired songs, novels, and films, and was the subject of a dedicated museum in Berlin from 2009 to 2018. Politicians and celebrities are often photographed eating currywurst, and it is seen as a food of the working class. Commemorative coins and public tributes mark its cultural importance.

Questions people ask about Currywurst

What is currywurst made of?

Currywurst consists of sliced sausage, usually pork, topped with a sauce made from ketchup or tomato paste mixed with curry powder and other spices.

Where did currywurst originate?

Currywurst was invented in Berlin, Germany, in 1949 by Herta Heuwer, who first sold it at a food stand in West Berlin.

How is currywurst typically served?

It is usually served sliced on a paper plate, covered with curry ketchup and curry powder, and accompanied by French fries or a bread roll.

Are there different types of currywurst?

Yes, variations include using beef sausage at halal and kosher stands, adding paprika or onions to the sauce, and regional differences in sausage and sauce.

Is currywurst popular in Germany?

Currywurst is extremely popular, with 800 million eaten each year in Germany and 70 million in Berlin alone.

Good reading and sources

Where this page comes from

The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Currywurst", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). Thali rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.

It may contain mistakes, and it is not dietary or allergy advice: recipes differ from cook to cook. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-03.

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