Normally I’m not the kind of guy to go to another country, live there, and then tell the natives how to cook. I just accept the global cornucopia of culinary goodness in whatever country I lay my head. I revel in the vast diversity of the worldwide palate. If I’m in Prague, I am a smazeny syr (fried cheese) addict. When in Mexico, give me carne asada in a fresh, warm corn tortilla. And when I’m in London, I bask in fish and chips, Guvna. That and curry.
But then there’s the Berliner Currywurst. Good God. When I wasn’t basking in fish and chips in London, I did curry. A lot. I think I can say with reasonable certainty that I know what a proper curry tastes like (don’t say India, please. I’m sure theirs is full of worms, field mice and dysentery or something. Give me a London curry any day). Then I heard that in Berlin they eat something called currywurst. Hmmm, I thought. In Munich I’d had the obligatory Bavarian sausage feast with pretzels, mustard and beer. Beer in very large mugs. I thought maybe the Berliner variety of sausage would combine the best of Indian culture and German culture. Y’know, like, sausages in (perhaps) a spicy curry sauce. Cuz in Berlin they say ‘multi-kulti’ a lot. Good GOTT no. They take a hot dog—not even a decent sausage, mind you—and smother it in (wait for it….) KETCHUP. With about 20 flakes of curry powder sprinkled on top. And these people eat this sheise.
Once again, talk amongst yerselves, feeling a little verklempt ovah heah.
But then there’s the Berliner Currywurst. Good God. When I wasn’t basking in fish and chips in London, I did curry. A lot. I think I can say with reasonable certainty that I know what a proper curry tastes like (don’t say India, please. I’m sure theirs is full of worms, field mice and dysentery or something. Give me a London curry any day). Then I heard that in Berlin they eat something called currywurst. Hmmm, I thought. In Munich I’d had the obligatory Bavarian sausage feast with pretzels, mustard and beer. Beer in very large mugs. I thought maybe the Berliner variety of sausage would combine the best of Indian culture and German culture. Y’know, like, sausages in (perhaps) a spicy curry sauce. Cuz in Berlin they say ‘multi-kulti’ a lot. Good GOTT no. They take a hot dog—not even a decent sausage, mind you—and smother it in (wait for it….) KETCHUP. With about 20 flakes of curry powder sprinkled on top. And these people eat this sheise.
Once again, talk amongst yerselves, feeling a little verklempt ovah heah.
The only Currywurst worth eating comes from the "Asia Box" in the Nollendorfplatz U Bahn. I mean, it's still curry sauce on a hot dog, which I personally don't think is ever going to be That Awesome, but it's worth a try. That and the Deutsch don't seem to have discovered it yet, or are too much put out by it being curry sauce and not ketchup, so one doesn't have to queue for like AGES. Why do they do that? Fucking Curry 36 or whatever it is on Meringhdamm was like 10 deep today. Sigh.
ReplyDeleteOn the plus side congrats on the blog, it's very good. And I haven't found many about Berlin, particularly in English, that I like. And if my taste in Currywurst is admirable, my taste in blogs is fucking faultless. So there.
Thanks for the comments! I will check that place for actual curry sauce on a sausage. I hate ketchup. I'll try the curry sauce on the sausage because my only goals in life are: 1) try every brand of beer on the planet, 2) try every country's brand of garbage fast food. Have you ever had a Northern England deep fry? My God, they deep fry EVERYTHING: Case in point, I had a battered, deep fried spicy sausage served on a bed of fries. I'm still trying to chisel the layer of grease off my heart from that one...
ReplyDelete-db