 They say you never forget your first time. As a relative latecomer to these things mine was down a back alley on Friday afternoon.
I say back alley, it was more of a side street really – just off the main drag in Duisburg. She was short and perfectly formed, slightly greasy unfortunately, but lovely and spicy. I’m talking about a currywurst of course – or curried sausage to the uninitiated, (Can’t imagine what you were thinking?) which is THE fast food of choice in these parts and the only thing to eat whilst watching the footie.
It is, at it sounds, a hot pork sausage cut into slices and seasoned with ketchup and generous amounts of curry powder.
It’s usually served with bread of French fries and is particularly popular in the metropolitan areas of the Ruhr, Berlin and Hamburg.
The currywurst appears to have been invented after the Second World War, although the exact time and place remains the subject of great controversy.
According to Berliners, the sauce was created by one Herta Heuwer when, while waiting for customers on a rainy day in 1949, she began experimenting with ingredients out of sheer boredom.
But according to legend in the Ruhr valley, it was accidentally invented by a sausage stallholder in Essen who dropped a can of curry powder into some ketchup. Whatever its origins, it remains as popular as ever, with various fan clubs devoted to it and even a song penned by Germany’s favourite singer Herbert Gronmeyer. (Never heard of him either).
Food purists and snobs will tell you currywurst is for the working classes. Well the middle and upper classes are missing a trick if you ask me. I was among the delicacy’s biggest fans for Germany’s game against Argentina. Bit rough around the edges, and a little lacking in English as it turned out (who am I to talk), but salt of the earth nevertheless. Dressed to a man (and the odd woman) in jean jackets (arms cut off, Schalke badges to the fore), sporting various lengths of mullet and moustache and chain smoking throughout the event they were very hospitable.
Many appeared to have lost various limbs and eyes in industrial accidents and some appeared to be afflicted by sores on their hands (from mishandling hot sausages perhaps?) but they thought it was great that an Englishman in their midst was happy to drink their steins of beer and curried sausages with such gusto.
Why they thought I was such a novelty is beyond me, I mean who could have a problem with a culture built on beer and sausages?
|
