Team Chicago "Goes Deutsch"

A lesson on Germany cuisine from Jonathan Isreal from Team Chicago:

In just under eight months, GLBT athletes and cultural participants from around the world will gather in a historic, albeit lesser-known part of Germany: Cologne. A quick search in Wikipedia will give you a nice overview of the city's history, layout and unique offerings. But what can you really expect when you arrive? Over the course of several months, Team Chicago would like to properly prepare our members for through a series of articles we lovingly call, "Going Deutsch."

This month's focus: German food.

What's the best way to summarize Germany's culinary staples? Beer and wieners. In all honesty, most guys in Boystown don't live on much else so it would be fair to say that many will find the German kitchen highly welcoming. But just as in life, German sausages, or Wurste, come in all shapes and sizes so how do you know what to munch on?

Here's a quick look at what you may see when perusing a Speisekarte or Menü. Typically, Germans will use a combination of pork or beef in their sausages, however, veal is also a popular ingredient depending on the sausage type or region. In any case, mustard (or Senf), not ketchup is the condiment of choice (with one exception of Currywurst - see below).

Bratwurst (or Rostbratwurst): these are likely the most recognized, usually made from a combination of pork and beef. Typically, these sausages are grilled and served on a roll or Brötchen with a side of sweet or hot mustard. A Currywurst is a derivative of this in which the sausage is split in half (ouch!) and doused in ketchup and curry powder.

Bockwurst: a veal based sausage that's seasoned with paprika and looks like an extra long and curvy hot dog. Typically, this sausage is boiled in beer and eaten with mustard.

There's lots more HERE.