Contrary to popular belief both bratwursts and hot dogs in the United States have their roots in Germany. Despite the humble hot dog’s association with American barbecues and baseball culture it’s generally accepted that the first frankfurter was served in Frankfurt Germany in 1487 while the first recorded mention of a bratwurst dates back to 1313 in Nuremberg Germany. Aside from their shared origins these sausages don’t have much else in common. Whether you’re team bratwurst or team hot dog here are the key flavor differences explained.
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 BBC Ideas | 2020-10-20 02:15:01 |  54,866 Views |
A Brief History of Sausages | Edible Histories Episode 8 | BBC Ideas
A bratwurst is a sausage made from a single type of meat usually pork but can also be beef or veal. Butchers season the meat with a mix of spices such as lemon zest coriander nutmeg and caraway seeds and then wrap it in a natural casing. A hot dog on the other hand is usually made from a mix of different meats such as beef poultry and pork and is seasoned with more common spices such as garlic coriander paprika and allspice. Thanks to the unique spices bratwursts tend to have a spicier more complex flavor than hot dogs which creates a more balanced overall meat flavor as the spices used are more commonly found in meat dishes.
Bratwurst is a combination of two German words that roughly translate to "offal sausage." While the name may not sound appealing it is accurate as traditional bratwursts are made from leftover meat. The same reality applies to frankfurters as hot dogs are also made from leftover meats. However hot dogs are still much more processed than bratwursts. This also explains why the flavor of a hot dog is milder than that of a bratwurst as it is made from the leftovers of many different types of meat mixed together.
In addition to the flavor of these sausages they also each have a unique texture. For example the meat used to make hot dogs must be ground into a paste to achieve a uniform flavor before being placed in the casing. Because it must be ground much finer hot dogs aren’t as heavy or coarse as bratwursts. (Though there are a few different varieties of each of these sausages and their unique textures and flavors will vary depending on the region you get them from.) And because they’re typically highly processed hot dogs can also be higher in sodium and preservatives.
