A (spicy) battle of the cities: Who invented the currywurst?

It's a classic tug-of-war between two major cities - but this time it's not over who has the best sports teams, most things to do or top livability.

No. It centres around a hot and spicy classic composed of ketchup, curry powder, cayenne pepper, sugar, cider vinegar, salt and pepper - and can also have Worcestershire sauce and other ingredients.

Currywurst. Considered a German classic - the spicy sauce over a pork sausage, usually enjoyed with chips, is served up to 800 million times a year in Germany - 70 million in the capital alone - according to the former Currywurst Museum in Berlin. Its history dates back 75 years.

But who invented it?

Was it the capital that gave the sausage its status, or was it Hamburg, with its North German charm, that created the snack classic? And why does a hotel sell the number one German snack for €26 ($29) when it costs about €5 on the street?

The origins of currywurst are shrouded in many legends. The most famous of these starts in Berlin's western Charlottenburg neighbourhood. On September 4, 1949, Herta Heuwer is said to have tested a new recipe at her snack bar out of boredom. She mixed tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, curry powder and other spices and poured the sauce over a grilled and chopped sausage.

Other reports claim that Heuwer had to improvise due to a shortage of mustard and thus created a new sauce. Whether it was a genius idea born out of boredom or a makeshift solution, the sauce became a global export hit.

Made in Hamburg?

In 1993, Uwe Timm published the novella "The Invention of Curried Sausage," in which he describes how the snack is said to have been discovered in Hamburg. According to his story, snack bar owner Lena Brücker mixed curry and ketchup when she fell, leading to the discovery of the sauce.

Although Brücker is a fictional character, Timm claimed to have eaten such a sausage in Hamburg as early as 1947. The story stokes the rivalry between Berlin and Hamburg over the invention.

Prince Alexander zu Schaumburg-Lippe from Bückeburg near Hanover also claims a historical connection. He asserts that currywurst was invented in his family's castle kitchen as early as 1946. A master chef is said to have prepared a sauce from apricot jam, tomato ketchup, curry and salt for officers of the British Rhine Army after World War II, which is possibly considered a precursor.

The world's largest portion

At least one record belongs to the state of Lower Saxony, where Hanover is located: On April 30, 2010, an industrial kitchen manufacturer in Wolfenbüttel made it into the Guinness Book of Records with a currywurst weighing 175.2 kilograms and measuring 320 metres long before cutting and serving. After cooking, it was refined with around 95 kilograms of tomato sauce and a kilogram of curry powder and distributed to visitors.

But Berlin certainly claims the invention of currywurst for itself and honours Heuwer as its inventor.

"Ick hab dat Patent, basta!" ("I have the patent, basta!"), the snack bar owner who died in 1999, is said to have remarked in her classic Berlin accent. In fact, Heuwer did not patent the actual successful recipe at the time because it would have required revealing the secret recipe.

Instead, on February 21, 1958, she registered the brand "Chillup" with the patent office - a combination of chilli and ketchup. On January 21,1959, "Chillup" was registered as a word and figurative mark under number 721319.

Berlin honoured Heuwer with a memorial plaque in 2003. At the time, District Mayor Monika Thiemen said there was not a single plaque "that commemorates a person who has distinguished themselves in the most important thing we have: food."

Spicy and golden: The extravagant variant

Currywurst has found its place not only in Germany's streets but also in upscale restaurants. Since 2018, it has been on the menu at the famous Adlon Hotel just across from the Brandenburg Gate landmark in the city centre and is one of the house's special highlights - for €26.

According to a spokeswoman for the hotel, around 800 portions are ordered per month. She said it particularly attracts international guests. The exact recipe for the sauce remains a secret, but it contains exotic ingredients such as mango, lemongrass and star anise. This gourmet dish is crowned with a pinch of gold leaf, served "stylishly" with chips and a milk roll.