Knackwurst () (in North America sometimes spelled knockwurst () refers to a type of sausage of Northern Germany origin from the mid-16th century. The many available varieties depend on the geographical region of their production.
Etymology and pronunciation
The German noun
Knackwurst—which, in English, is sometimes
Language change as
knockwurst—comes from the German verb knacken () ("to crack") or the adjective
knackig () ("crisp"). This refers to the swelling of the sausage during the process of cooking, so that the skin becomes pressurized and balloon-like, and tends to "pop", often exploding the juices, when bitten into (authentic example: ). (Cf. the British term "banger".) Etymologically, the term "knackwurst" arose in Germany in the middle of the 16th century.
[Friedrich Kluge (Ed.): Etymologisches Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache. 24., durchgesehene und erweiterte Auflage. Walter de Gruyter, Berlin 2002, , P. 501.] In Germany, all different kinds of
Knackwürste are abbreviated
Knacker ().
[Ulrich Ammon, Rhea Kyvelos, Regula Nyffenegger (Ed.): Variantenwörterbuch des Deutschen, Walter de Gruyter, 2004, , P. 417 - section "Knackwurst"]
Knackwurst in Germany & Austria
Numerous regional varieties of knackwurst exist in Germany. They all differ from knackwurst varieties sold in Austria. There, a knackwurst always refers to a sausage containing bacon and added potato starch. In addition to the term "knackwurst", common names are "Salzburger" or "Schübling".
[Ulrich Ammon, Rhea Kyvelos, Regula Nyffenegger (Ed.): Variantenwörterbuch des Deutschen. Walter de Gruyter, 2004, , P. 417 – "Knackwurst"]
As a specialty in Hamburg, scalded Knackwurst served with mustard and half a slice of white bread is a popular snack for lunch. It is also sold at the Hamburger Dom, the largest Volksfest in northern Germany, under various, sometimes poetic, names like Domknacker, Hamburger Knacker, or Hafenlümmel (literally: harbour tyke).[ Product description on the website of Salzbrenner Hamburg, retrieved on 17 March 2016.]
Knake in Sweden
A
knake refers to a short, plump and dark sausage which is produced by Holmgrens in the Swedish city of
Lund. It is a Lund speciality and dates back to the 1910s. Today's recipe is dated to the 1960s.
Knockwurst in the US
In
North America, a
knockwurst refers to a short, plump sausage originating from northern Germany. It contains ground
veal, ground
pork, and fresh
garlic stuffed into
Pig Sausage casing.
As part of the production process, the sausages are aged for two to five days, then smoked over oak wood. Knockwurst is often prepared highly Seasoning.[Koch, Hermann; Fuchs, Martin: Die Fabrikation feiner Fleisch- und Wurstwaren. Ed. 22. Deutscher Fachverlag, Frankfurt/Main, 2009. .]
Knockwurst is sometimes cut in half lengthwise before serving,
See also
-
List of sausages
-
List of smoked foods
