FEATURED PRODUCT
THE QUEEN OF EASTERN SWITZERLAND
St. Galler Bratwurst is one of Switzerland’s most popular meat products. It is considered THE grilling and roasting sausage of the nation. The history of the St. Galler Bratwurst goes way back to the Middle Ages. The first records date back as early as 1438, and state which ingredients should be used in the sausage: veal, bacon, spices, and fresh milk, which also explains its white color.
Since 2008, the sausage has been registered as an AOP (Protected Designation of Origin) in the cantons of St. Gallen, Appenzell, Inner and Outer Rhodes, and Thurgau. This protected designation of origin guarantees that the animals come only from Switzerland or the Principality of Liechtenstein, and that the meat is processed exclusively within the four cantons mentioned above. The trade organization of St. Gallen bratwurst sausage is tasked with preserving this culinary heritage.
Dive into the spicy world of the St. Galler bratwurst and bite into it!
Autres informations
PLAN YOUR VISITS
St. Gallen, Schweiz/Suisse/Svizzera/Svizra
What is St. Galler Bratwurst?
In a nutshell
Most people prefer their St. Galler Bratwurst freshly grilled. During grilling, it is turned several times without being scored. A perfectly grilled sausage is uniformly brown and crispy, but not quite charred. The skin may burst in places, but should not tear into large pieces. The use of mustard or even ketchup is taboo in St. Gallen. The argument is that the St. Galler Bratwurst is so delicious that any alteration of its taste is superfluous and would interfere with the real pleasure of its taste.
Stories
There is no fresher sausage
Several times a week, the Kast butcher shop in Berneck produces sausages. During the summer grilling season, sometimes every day from Monday to Saturday. Berneck’s master butcher prefers to slaughter the animals for his specialties in his own abattoir. “I source my calves, cattle and pigs exclusively from local farmers,” stresses Walter Kast, stressing that the regionality of his products is a priority. With such idealism and butcher’s know-how, it’s no wonder that his sausages are renowned far beyond his shop, and even in neighboring Vorarlberg. Walter Kast does not hold back when it comes to making St. Galler Bratwurst. One important factor is speed: “As soon as we put the meat and ingredients into the mincer to make the sausage meat, it doesn’t take more than two hours for the sausages to be ready for sale: there are no fresher sausages!”
14,000 St. Galler Bratwurst AOP sold at Zurich’s Sechseläuten
In 2013, St. Gallen was the guest canton at Zurich’s Sechseläuten, and Gossau butcher Ochsen-Metzg was commissioned to supply the St. Galler Bratwurst AOPs. Already the week before the festival, St. Galler Bratwurst AOP were being grilled on Zurich’s Bahnhofstrasse, selling like hot cakes. For four days, the team from the Ochsen-Metzg butcher’s shop was on hand at the Lindenhof, where the guest canton of St. Gallen showcased its culture and cuisine. The organizers expected to sell between 10,000 and 12,000 sausages, but the Gossau butcher’s shop supplied a total of 16,000, with the delicious St. Galler Bratwurst AOP making up the largest share by far at 14,000 units.
The sausage miracle in Zurich
Midweek, Bellevue, Zurich, just before noon. This traffic junction in the heart of Zurich was a hive of activity, with cars, streetcars and passers-by coming and going at breakneck speed. This is where people meet for coffee, lunch, nibbles and, as a rule, leave immediately. Open-air tables, snack bars and cafés invite you to linger for a while. Where the gold star shines in the spring sunshine, the queue is particularly long. You are at the Sternen Grill, Zurich’s legendary sausage temple. From up close, it doesn’t look so spectacular, although it’s said that this is where everyone, including superstars, meet and enjoy “the original” until the end of the night. By “the original”, we of course mean St. Galler Bratwurst AOP. Produced daily and shipped to Zurich by Tanner’s village butcher in Henau, a village of 1300 people near Wil. Photos of famous customers hang on the staircase: Udo Jürgens, Nick Heidfeld, Jörg Schneider, the FCZ starting team. There are also guests, commuters, students, retirees, locals, businessmen and sausage lovers, all mainly ordering “the original”.
One sausage – Four variations
La Classique
The classic variant of the St. Galler Bratwurst AOP weighs about 110 to 130 grams.
L’Élégante
In the elegant variant of the St. Galler Bratwurst, the St. Gallen veal roast sausage, the proportion of veal in the total weight of the meat is more than 50%.
The Legendary
The legendary OLMA St. Galler Bratwurst AOP roast sausage weighs 160 grams and is named after the popular St.Gallen Autumn Fair.
The Giant
The biggest sausage, the St. Gallen Children’s Festival Bratwurst AOP, weighing in at 220 grams and is only available at this traditional event, which takes place every three years. Many connoisseurs say that bigger really is better!
Dig in!
The most typical St. Gallen meal is the St. Galler Bratwurst with onion sauce and rösti.
1 tablespoon roasting butter
4 St.Galler Bratwurst
4 medium onions, sliced into rings
1 tablespoon butter
1-2 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon tomato purée
1.5 dl wine or stock
1.5 dl broth
Salt and pepper
Brown the sausages in a little roasting butter over medium heat on both sides for about 8 to 10 minutes. Sweat onions in butter. Sprinkle with flour and mix well. Add tomato purée and roast for 1-2 minutes. Deglaze with wine or stock. Add broth, reduce to desired consistency and season. Serve with sauce and röstis.
Regional Actors
