Berlin's best Currywurst

The ubiquitous Currywurst with its sweet ketchup, dusting of curry powder and classic German sausage, is synonymous with Berlin and food. Perhaps not a 'refined' delicacy, but this little wurst stands proud within the Berlin food scene and definitely fulfills its purpose as good street-food.

A product of a dark and desperate time and a devastated city, where the resources were low but perseverance high, when a lady named Herta Heuwer obtained ketchup and curry powder from some neighbourly British troops in West Berlin, (they received alcohol in return, I say no more!), and combined it with what she had to hand, the traditional German sausage.

The interesting concoction was immediately successful and remains very much a firm favourite of Berliners today.

There are thousands of Currywurst vendors to choose from today in Berlin, and of course the quality can vary considerably, so I am going to share with you some of my favourite places to enjoy this tasty little plate of food fusion.

Konnopke's Imbiß

This is widely regarded as one of the best Currywurst in Berlin and they definitely win on the historical front. A sausage-maker since 1930 and the first Currywurst vendor in East Berlin, and also the creator of the skinless Currywurst sausage. Great sauce, great fries, a great place to start.

http://konnopke-imbiss.de/Home.html

Konnopke's in the 1960s

Curry Mitte

By far one of my favourites in Berlin. The meat in the sausage is locally sourced and they have an extra spicy, garlicky sauce you can order if you want a little more kick to your curry. They even offer a beef currywurst but I'd go for the original pork if I was you.

http://www.currymitte.de/

Curry 61

I always enjoy this Currywurst, a fairly sweet sauce which I think works very nicely with the curry powder. Be sure to ask to have your wurst 'scharf', meaning spicy, for that zing you need in a Currywurst. These guys even have a vegetarian sausage for those plant-eaters among us that don't want to miss out on this authentic Berlin experience.

http://www.curry61.de/

Curry Baude

On the advice of a friend of mine, a true Berliner, this is the best Currywurst in Berlin. All the key ingredients are perfectly balanced, great fries and they even have something called 'Zigeunersauce' which translates as 'gypsy sauce'. How can you go wrong.

http://www.curry-baude.de/

Guten Appetit!

Berlin's best Currywurst

The ubiquitous Currywurst with its sweet ketchup, dusting of curry powder and classic German sausage, is synonymous with Berlin and food. Perhaps not a 'refined' delicacy, but this little wurst stands proud within the Berlin food scene and definitely fulfills its purpose as good street-food.

A product of a dark and desperate time and a devastated city, where the resources were low but perseverance high, when a lady named Herta Heuwer obtained ketchup and curry powder from some neighbourly British troops in West Berlin, (they received alcohol in return, I say no more!), and combined it with what she had to hand, the traditional German sausage.

The interesting concoction was immediately successful and remains very much a firm favourite of Berliners today.

There are thousands of Currywurst vendors to choose from today in Berlin, and of course the quality can vary considerably, so I am going to share with you some of my favourite places to enjoy this tasty little plate of food fusion.

Konnopke's Imbiß

This is widely regarded as one of the best Currywurst in Berlin and they definitely win on the historical front. A sausage-maker since 1930 and the first Currywurst vendor in East Berlin, and also the creator of the skinless Currywurst sausage. Great sauce, great fries, a great place to start.

http://konnopke-imbiss.de/Home.html

Konnopke's in the 1960s

Curry Mitte

By far one of my favourites in Berlin. The meat in the sausage is locally sourced and they have an extra spicy, garlicky sauce you can order if you want a little more kick to your curry. They even offer a beef currywurst but I'd go for the original pork if I was you.

http://www.currymitte.de/

Curry 61

I always enjoy this Currywurst, a fairly sweet sauce which I think works very nicely with the curry powder. Be sure to ask to have your wurst 'scharf', meaning spicy, for that zing you need in a Currywurst. These guys even have a vegetarian sausage for those plant-eaters among us that don't want to miss out on this authentic Berlin experience.

http://www.curry61.de/

Curry Baude

On the advice of a friend of mine, a true Berliner, this is the best Currywurst in Berlin. All the key ingredients are perfectly balanced, great fries and they even have something called 'Zigeunersauce' which translates as 'gypsy sauce'. How can you go wrong.

http://www.curry-baude.de/

Guten Appetit!

A trip to the Basque Country by way of Berlin- Txokoa

A couple of weeks ago now, four of my oldest friends came to visit me here in Berlin. It was a whistle stop tour that involved food, food and more food. Attendance on my food tour was of course compulsory, and they were delighted with the introduction to the variety of things to eat in this city (though they had to say that). Naturally, our food tour did not end there.

We delved further to explore what Berlin has to offer and as always, the place that stood out, was Txokoa. Nestled on a corner of the popular Weserstraße in Neukölln, it is described as a Basque Gastro bar. The menu here is special and offers far more than the typical Spanish tapas available in Berlin.

Slow roasted pork belly over 24 hours, watermelon gazpacho with almond mousse and truffled potato croquettes are just some of the choices to entice you. There is something for both carnivores and plant eaters alike, though perhaps not for those vegans among us.

We chose a selection of dishes, which is my recommended way to order here, as portions are small and believe me, you want to enjoy the variety of this menu. The squid ink orzo with prawns was phenomenal and had a rich, salty silkiness that stained your lips obsidian. Tip- check your face in the bathroom mirror before leaving.

The pork belly with apples is exquisite and you'll also need the pork belly croquettes, trust me. As someone that eats mainly plants, this was by no means a pork overload. Divine.

The Mallorca tartlet is a must, with aubergine, Sobrasada and gratinated goat's cheese and always takes me to another plane whenever I have it.

As we were on holiday, (my friends at least), we decided to have dessert.

The right decision.

The hot chocolate fondant with mandarine sorbet and wasabi was genius and though I know we've all had a fondant somewhere before, this was special.

Prices are perhaps not as cheap as Berlin can be, but any penny spent here is a penny well spent. I promise. Enjoy.

Txokoa is something of an old faithful for me now, somewhere I always take anyone that visits. The quality never diminishes but seems to continue to improve and become more interesting every time I go.

Afterwards, as we did, you can roll out onto the busy Weserstaße and duck into one of the ever-growing bars that adorn this street. If all that pork will let you.

Berlin restaurant inspiration- Dr.To's

I love to cook. Cooking is always a very creative process for me, it feels akin to painting or singing. Often in my kitchen cooking and singing go hand in hand, its quite a spectacle, 'Don't cry for me Argentina' anyone?

Anyway, I take a great deal of inspiration from many of the dishes I have tried while eating out in restaurants in Berlin. Ranging from Palestinian food to Pan-Asian to traditional German and with the truly delicious ones, I attempt to recreate at home.

So I'm happy to introduce these restaurant inspired recipes and my take on some of my favourite dishes I've discovered from Berlin's eclectic food scene. Berlin, like other capitals, is a melting pot of vibrant cultures and this is reflected in the diverse choices when it comes to food and therefore eating out has truly enhanced my own kitchen.

Let me begin with this dish of udon noodles with tomatoes, aubergine and tofu. This was born out of sheer admiration for the exquisite tomato, aubergine and coriander salad at the insurmountable Dr. To's.

The Original. Dr.To's tomato, aubergine and coriander salad

Dr. To's is an all time favourite of mine and somewhere I always take anyone that comes to visit. They offer Pan-Asian tapas and this little salad is a show stopper. So simple but so good.

Now let me just say, I do not profess to be cooking in accordance to how Dr.To's prepare their salad. I have taken the delicate flavours that I tasted and created this udon noodle treat. Adding these ingredients makes it a meal in itself and it is a warm dish rather than a cold salad. Udon noodles and tofu are usual contenders for my Dr. To's menu picking, so it seemed an appropriate ensemble. This recipe is my interpretation and attempt to honour the dish I enjoy so much there.

And if I do say so myself, it's great. One of my go to weeknight suppers. Deliciously fragrant, healthy and satisfying. Enjoy!

Shopping list:

Serves 4

5 medium tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 aubergine, cut into large chunks
600g of Udon noodles
200g firm tofu
bunch of coriander, roughly chopped, stalks and all
2 red onions, peeled and sliced
soy sauce
2 inches of ginger, peeled and grated
2 tbsp of good quality vinegar

Add olive oil to a large pan and cook the aubergine for 5 minutes on all sides. Liberally add soy sauce and cook for a further few minutes and then add the vinegar. Cook until evaporated off.

Now add the tomatoes, coriander stalks and ginger and cook until softened.

Add the sliced onions and stir until they are warmed through, you still want a nice crunchy freshness to them.

Now add the udon noodles, and with your hands, crumble up the tofu and stir into the vegetables and heat through.

Finish off with some more soy sauce and a large handful of roughly chopped coriander and serve.

And don't forget to try the original at Dr.To's!

Dr.To's, Weichselstraße 54, 12045 Berlin