10 German Sausages To Know And Love

I learned a lot about sausage while reporting on Germany's Christkindlmarkts for Lufthansa USA. I thought it was just a generalization that Germans live off them, and that they had as many kinds of sausage as Eskimos have words for snow (also a generalization, as I learned while researching better ways to express Germany's love of sausage). But it's true. They're really serious about tube steak. And now I am, too.

Every region has its own particular riff on "sausage in a bun," like Nuremberg's much-loved Drei im Weggla (see slide 2) or the massive Thuringer, whose bun cannot hope to contain it all. You can have your sausage with potatoes or with kraut (hopefully both). There's a sausage for every morsel of every pig or cow, as there should be. Here are 10 favorites I discovered wandering around Germany's outdoor Christmas markets.

This garlicky sausage has a delightfully crunchy skin that gives a snap when you bite into it.

This white sausage is a little milder than other links.

Cream and eggs are added to bockwurst.

This jerky-like link can be eaten like salami.

The method of grilling this sausage requires a good amount of bacon fat.

The wollwurst is fried for crispness.

Pork rinds are made into this sausage. Pork rinds!

Frankfurter wurtschens have been around since the 13th century.

This blood sausage pairs beautifully with applesauce.

These little links are packed with flavor.