From the age of 15 until 23, I mainly lived in, what was at that time, West Germany. The Germans are famous for a few things like: beer, getting the silver medal in world wars, and of course sausages! Now while Toronto has it’s street meat vendors, which are generally looked down on, with very good reason, the Germans love their sausage, and pay due homage to them. So why does the bratty mean so much to me?

Think about where you started to drink, and no, I am not talking about grabbing a quick sip of your dad’s beer when he wasn’t looking. I’m talking more about getting dressed up in your best clobber, spraying yourself with old spice, and heading out to a bar! You know that I’m talking about, every time you left the house you thought you looked great and always thought you were going to get laid. And that’s what always happened.. well in your dreams at least.

Now let’s talk about reality.

After a few beers, you start to smell the sausage as they slowly cook on the grill and it’s so hard to resist, so you simply have to have one. Now the Germans are smart, they don’t mess around with the bratty. They cook it nice and slow, and serve it with bread and senf. Senf is a German mustard that is somehow hot, spivey, and sweet all at the same time. When placed together with the pork and the fat from the bratwurst, it is a simple combination to die for. But now comes the real question: Just how many to sample? Because let’s be honest. You are not getting laid tonight. So the call goes out for “Ein Bier und Bratwurst mit senf bitte?”

Food Story - Greig King