The ketwurst is a form of
hot dog
A hot dog is a grilled, steamed, or boiled sausage served in the slit of a partially sliced bun. The term ''hot dog'' can also refer to the sausage itself. The sausage used is a wiener ( Vienna sausage) or a frankfurter ( Frankfurter Würs ...
originated from the
German Democratic Republic
East Germany, officially known as the German Democratic Republic (GDR), was a country in Central Europe from Foundation of East Germany, its formation on 7 October 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with West Germany (FRG) on ...
(East Germany). The word "ketwurst" comes from a combination of ''
Ketchup
Ketchup or catsup is a table condiment with a sweet and sour flavor. "Ketchup" now typically refers to tomato ketchup, although early recipes for different varieties contained mushrooms, oysters, mussels, egg whites, grapes, or walnuts, amon ...
'' and ''Wurst''
(German for "sausage").
Its preparation involves the heating of a special
Bockwurst, larger than regular hot dogs, in water. A
long roll is pierced by a hot metal cylinder, which creates an appropriately sized hole. The sausage is then dunked in ketchup and put inside of the roll.
The Ketwurst was invented at the State Gastronomical Research Center — like the
Grilletta, a hamburger-like meatball-in-a-bun — around 19771978. At that time, restaurants at the
Berlin TV Tower were incapable of handling the large numbers of visitors, so a take-away food was needed. It is often considered the archetypical East German fast food, but until
German reunification
German reunification () was the process of re-establishing Germany as a single sovereign state, which began on 9 November 1989 and culminated on 3 October 1990 with the dissolution of the East Germany, German Democratic Republic and the int ...
, it was rarely seen outside the city center of Berlin.
See also
*
List of hot dogs
*
References
External links
*
{{Hot dog variations
Cuisine of Berlin
Culture of East Germany
Hot dogs
German sausages