Volkswagen currywurst facts for kids
The Volkswagen currywurst is a special type of sausage made by the famous car company Volkswagen. They have been making these sausages since 1973!
These sausages are made right at Volkswagen's main factory in Wolfsburg, Germany. You can find them in restaurants at their six German factories. Volkswagen currywurst is also sold in supermarkets and at football stadiums. Sometimes, Volkswagen even gives them to customers who buy new cars.
The company calls this sausage a "Volkswagen Original Part." It even has its own part number, which is 199 398 500 A. In 2018, Volkswagen made about 6.81 million sausages. That's more than any other part they produce! In fact, for many years, Volkswagen has made more sausages than cars. They also make their own special ketchup to go with the currywurst.
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Making the Sausage
Volkswagen makes its sausages in a special part of the Wolfsburg Volkswagen Plant. A team of 30 people works there. The sausages come in two sizes:
- A smaller one, about 13 centimeters (5 inches) long.
- A larger one, about 25 centimeters (10 inches) long.
The bigger sausage weighs about 170 grams (6 ounces).
The sausages are made from pork, which arrives at the factory three times a week. Workers trim the pork to remove extra fat. This makes the sausage have about 20% fat, which is much less than the 35% usually found in a bratwurst sausage.
After trimming, the pork is ground up. Then, it's mixed with a secret blend of spices. This mixture is put into sausage skins that say Volkswagen Originalteil (which means "Volkswagen Original Part"). The sausages are then hung up and smoked over beechwood for 100 minutes at 80 degrees Celsius (176 degrees Fahrenheit). Once they cool down, they are packed into groups of five.
The factory makes around 20,000 sausages every day. That's about 1,181 tonnes (1,302 short tons) each year! Volkswagen says their currywurst does not contain protein powder, monosodium glutamate (MSG), or phosphates.
Volkswagen Ketchup
Volkswagen also makes its own ketchup, which is a popular sauce for currywurst. This special ketchup (part number 199 398 500 B) is a bit thicker than other ketchups. A pack of sausages and a bottle of ketchup usually cost about US$10.
There is also a plant-based, vegan version of the currywurst made at the factory.
Where to Eat Volkswagen Currywurst
You can buy the currywurst in the 17 canteens and restaurants at the Wolfsburg factory. It's usually served with ketchup and chips (French fries). They even sell a currywurst soup! For the sausage's 45th birthday, they made currywurst burgers and currywurst pizza.
Volkswagen also sells plates to eat the currywurst on. The plate has its own part number too: 33D 069 602.
History of Volkswagen Currywurst
Volkswagen has been making food for its workers at the Wolfsburg factory since it opened in 1938. This was because the factory was in a remote area. They started making the currywurst in 1973.
In the past, the factory received whole animals from a Volkswagen-owned farm. These animals were butchered right there. Now, they get pre-cut meat from local suppliers. The sausage used to be made with both pork and beef. But in the 1990s, they removed the beef due to concerns about animal health.
The Volkswagen currywurst has won awards at German food fairs. It has also received gold awards from the German Agricultural Society. You could see the sausage at the AutoMuseum Volkswagen and at the Deutsches Currywurst Museum (before it closed in 2018).
The vegetarian currywurst was first made in 2010. In August 2021, Volkswagen announced that they would remove the traditional pork currywurst from the cafeteria menu at the Wolfsburg plant. They decided to offer only the vegetarian version instead. This decision caused some debate, even with former German leader Gerhard Schröder.
Selling the Sausages
About 40% of the Volkswagen currywurst is eaten in the restaurants at their six German factories. The rest is sold in outside shops, supermarkets, and football stadiums. Some sausages are also sent to Volkswagen car dealerships across Europe. These are given as gifts to customers who buy new cars.
The money made from selling the sausages outside helps Volkswagen make food cheaper for its staff. The product is sold in 11 countries. However, it is not sold in the United States because of rules about importing uncooked meat. In the past, Volkswagen sent chefs to the U.S. to try and make the sausage there using local ingredients. The company is also looking into selling the currywurst in Singapore.
Production Numbers
Volkswagen has made more and more currywurst sausages in recent years.
- In 2015, they made 7.2 million sausages. This was 14% more than in 2014.
- Between 2009 and 2018, production went up by 264%. In 2018, they made 6.81 million sausages. This makes the currywurst the most produced "part" in the entire Volkswagen range!
- In many years, Volkswagen has made more individual currywurst sausages than individual cars. This happened in 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2017.
Ketchup production has also increased. In 2014, they made 536,826 kilograms (1,183,500 pounds) of ketchup. By 2015, this went up to 608,208 kilograms (1,340,860 pounds).
