NATIONAL BRATWURST DAY

NATIONAL BRATWURST DAY

Get ready to fire up the grill and unleash your inner sausage enthusiast because August 16 is National Bratwurst Day! This deliciously dedicated food day is a salute to the beloved German sausage that has captured hearts and taste buds around the world.

#NationalBratwurstDay

Bratwurst has an interesting history. Before we dive into a brief explanation of the origins of bratwurst, we need to quickly talk about the origin of sausage. After all, bratwurst is a sausage.

The concept of sausage dates back to ancient Mesopotamia around 3000 BCE, where historians have been able to trace sausage making. Written tablets from the Mesopotamian people describe stuffing meat into intestinal casings as way to preserve meat longer. However, this sausage was not the bratwurst that we are familiar with today.

Historic Battle of the Brat

Most of us realize bratwurst is a German sausage. But did you know there is a friendly duel between two regions in Germany that lay claim to "inventing" bratwurst? Two cities in Germany, Nuremberg and Thuringia, both have legitimate claims to their role in the history of the bratwurst. Though there are conflicting stories about which region bratwurst was created, we know that its story begins in Germany.

Nuremberg, Germany, has the earliest written documentation mentioning bratwurst dates back to 1313 in Nuremberg in the form of a written recipe. The document, which was possessed by city officials, outlines the production of bratwurst and the processes followed to create it. One of Nuremberg's signature brats, the Nürnberger Rostbratwurst, is internationally known. Interestingly, this specific bratwurst is the original recipe and produced only within the city limits of Nuremberg.

Thuringia, Germany, has the earliest documented purchase of ingredients for what clearly refers to bratwurst. According to locals, the 1404 Arnstadt document indicates that purchasing ingredients to making bratwurst indicates it was already in production. Interestingly, the 1404 Arnstadt document was only recently discovered in 2000, which definitely sent Nuremberg into a frenzy.

Both the Nuremberg and Thuringia regions have deeply ingrained traditions and economies built around their specific bratwurst types. It's very possible that both regions has similar types of sausages at the same time. However, claiming the "invention" is a matter of immense regional pride and a significant part of their cultural heritage and tourism.

Obviously, bratwurst arrived in the U.S. with German immigrants, beginning around 1680, when Germantown, PA, was founded. As German settlers began laying roots in the midwest in the 1800s, the bratwurst went along with them. By the 1920s, bratwurst was a familiar addition in homes. In 1954, Major League Baseball even added it to their menu at games. Today, brats are found everywhere across the U.S. and are a part of food culture for barbeques, tailgating parties and sporting events.

CELEBRATING NATIONAL BRATWURST DAY

Celebrating National Bratwurst Day is as fun and flexible as the sausage itself! Hosting friends and family for a cookout seems to be the most logic choice to celebrate National Bratwurst Day. You could even go a little further by setting up a brat bar, complete with all the condiments you can think of. If you're traveling Germany, taste the different types of authentic brats available in the cities you visit. Beyond that, you could incorporate brats into dishes at home. Add brats to your mac and cheese or create a brat hash! Share your brat adventures and photos on social media using the hashtag #NationalBratwurstDay!

HISTORY BEHIND NATIONAL BRATWURST DAY

National Bratwurst Day seems to have been created by the Wisconsin Pork Producer Association possibly around 2005. The organization is one of the biggest producers (and consumers) of bratwurst in the U.S. It makes total sense that they would be the biggest promoters of this delicious food holiday.