German Bockwurst: History, Tradition and How to Cook It
Bockwurst is one of Germany’s best-known cooked sausages. It is usually served hot, often with mustard and a bread roll, and it has a history that reaches back further than the famous Berlin story most often associated with its name.
What Is Bockwurst?
Bockwurst is a traditional German cooked sausage, known in German food terminology as a Bruehwurst. It is generally fine-textured and is commonly sold in a reddish-brown casing.
The exact recipe can vary between manufacturers, so the product label is the best source for the ingredients of a particular Bockwurst.
For the person buying it, however, Bockwurst is straightforward: it is a sausage that is heated before serving and commonly eaten with mustard and a bread roll.
Where Does the Name Bockwurst Come From?
The name is connected with Bockbier, the strong beer style known in English as bock beer.
There is an important historical detail here. The word Bockwurst was already documented in Bavaria in 1827. Johann Andreas Schmeller’s Bayerisches Woerterbuch, published that year, described Bockbier together with Bockwurst as a traditional Munich breakfast.
This means that the name existed before the better-known Berlin story of 1889. The early reference does not necessarily describe Bockwurst in exactly the form sold today, but it shows that the term was already in use in Bavaria during the first half of the 19th century.
The Berlin Bockwurst Story of 1889
Berlin has its own famous story about Bockwurst.
According to a Berlin tradition, a fine cooked sausage was served in 1889 by the Berlin butcher Benjamin Loewenthal at the establishment of publican Richard Scholtz in Kreuzberg. The story connects the sausage with Bockbier and says that students attending a gathering at the pub gave it the name Bockwurst.
A historical account published in the Berlinische Monatsschrift describes this story and places the establishment on Skalitzer Strasse. It also describes the subsequent popularity of the sausage in Berlin.
It is important to describe this as a Berlin tradition, rather than as a proven invention. The earlier Bavarian reference from 1827 makes a simple statement such as “Bockwurst was invented in Berlin in 1889” impossible to support.
The safest historical conclusion is that the name was already known in Bavaria before 1889, while Berlin developed an important Bockwurst tradition in the late 19th century.
Bockwurst in East German Everyday Life
Bockwurst was not originally an East German sausage. Its history goes back to the 19th century, long before the German Democratic Republic was established.
During the GDR period, however, Bockwurst became a familiar and inexpensive food sold at Imbiss stands and in other places where people bought simple meals away from home.
The price is one of the clearest documented details. The MDR reports that a Bockwurst cost 80 East German Pfennig until the end of the GDR. A bread roll cost another five Pfennig. The DDR Museum likewise records 85 Pfennig as the price for a Bockwurst with a bread roll at Imbiss stands and in restaurants.
For anyone who did not experience everyday life in the GDR, the figure gives a small but tangible detail about how ordinary this food was. Bockwurst was not an elaborate meal. It was something people could buy quickly and eat with a bread roll and mustard.
How to Heat Bockwurst
Bockwurst is normally heated rather than cooked from raw. The traditional method is simple: place the sausages in hot water and warm them gently.
- Heat enough water to cover the sausages.
- Bring the water close to a simmer, but do not let it boil vigorously.
- Place the Bockwurst carefully into the hot water.
- Warm the sausages gently until they are heated through.
- Remove them from the water and serve immediately.
The exact heating time depends on the product, so the manufacturer’s instructions should always take priority.
A vigorous boil is best avoided because it can cause the casing to split. Gentle heating is sufficient for a sausage that has already been cooked during production.
How Bockwurst Is Traditionally Served
The simplest serving is also one of the most familiar: Bockwurst with mustard and a bread roll.
German mustard is a natural companion because its sharp, tangy flavor contrasts with the mild sausage. For a German-style serving at home, Bautzner Mustard is a natural choice.
Bockwurst can also be served with German potato salad. The exact style of potato salad varies by region, so there is no single recipe that represents all of Germany.
For a simple German-style meal, you can serve Bockwurst with classic German potato salad and mustard.
A Simple German Sausage With a Long History
Bockwurst is a simple German sausage, but its history reflects several different periods of German food culture. Its early Bavarian reference, the famous Berlin tradition and its place in everyday GDR life all form part of the story behind a sausage that is still familiar today.
