Currywurst
Currywurst is a German street food of fried or grilled pork sausage, sliced and covered in a warm tomato ketchup sauce seasoned with curry powder, served with fries or a roll.
Allergens at a glance
- OftenMustardMany curry powders contain mustard seed; some ketchups and sauces list it.
- OftenCeleryIn many curry ketchups and spice blends; some sausage seasonings too.
- OftenGlutenServed with a bread roll; some sausages and sauces contain wheat.
- SometimesMilkSome sausages contain milk protein; spice blends may carry milk traces.
- SometimesSulphitesSome sauces and sausages use sulphite preservatives or wine vinegar.
- SometimesFishSome house sauces add Worcestershire sauce (anchovy); fries may share fish fryers.
Usually in the standard recipe. Often in many versions. Sometimes in some kitchens, or a cross-contact risk.
Diets
- Not halal: the standard sausage is pork. Some stalls sell beef or chicken sausage; ask.
- Vegan and vegetarian currywurst are easy to find in Berlin; check the sauce too.
- Not reliably gluten-free: ask about the sausage, the sauce and the fryer for the chips.
Recipes change from kitchen to kitchen. If you have an allergy, confirm every ingredient with the restaurant before you order.
What is currywurst?
Currywurst is a pork sausage that's fried or grilled, cut into bite-sized pieces, smothered in a warm, sweet tomato sauce spiced with curry powder, and dusted with more curry powder on top. It's eaten standing at a street stall (Imbiss) with a small wooden or plastic fork, with chips (Pommes) or a bread roll. Berlin claims it, and the Ruhr area treats it as its own.
What's in it
The sausage is usually a Brühwurst (scalded pork sausage) similar to a bratwurst. Berlin has two types:
- Ohne Darm (without skin): a skinless sausage, the Berlin classic.
- Mit Darm (with skin): a sausage in a natural or collagen casing.
The sauce is the signature, and every stall guards its own. Most are based on tomato ketchup or tomato paste with curry powder, sugar, vinegar, onion and spices. Some add apple, Worcestershire sauce, paprika or chilli. Many stalls offer heat levels, from mild to painfully hot.
Allergens and diets
The sauce and spice are where the allergens hide. Curry powder is a blend, and many blends sold in Germany contain mustard seed; packaged currywurst spices and curry ketchups often list mustard and celery, either as ingredients or as possible traces. Celery also turns up in "herb extracts" in ketchup. If either is a serious allergy for you, ask to see the sauce label.
The sausage is the second variable. German sausages are mostly meat, fat, salt and spices, but some recipes include milk protein, wheat, other binders or celery seasoning. In Germany, as across the EU, businesses selling unpackaged food must be able to tell you which of the 14 major allergens it contains, and many stalls post a lettered allergen list.
Gluten comes from the roll and possibly the sausage or sauce. Fries are often cooked in a shared fryer with breaded items or fish.
On the menu
At an Imbiss you'll see Currywurst, Currywurst mit Pommes (with fries), mit Brötchen (with a roll) and often a choice of "mit oder ohne Darm". Pommes rot-weiß means fries with ketchup and mayonnaise (egg, often mustard). It's priced cheaply as a snack or quick lunch.
Last checked 1 November 2026. Spotted something wrong? Email support@inventum.com.au.