Ooh, this is a tough one. With Oktoberfest just around the corner, it’s time to start dusting off last year’s lederhosen and planning your Oktoberfest celebrations. Once that keg is tapped and the German beer starts flowing, you’ll have to make a quick decision about which German food to accompany your beer filled-stein at the party. And that oom-pah-pah music blasting in the background along with your buzz won’t make the decision any easier.
Which is why we’re going to help make the decision for you—or at least analyze your two most likely choices: the German wurst vs. the German pretzel. So, which one should you choose? We’ll find out in This vs. That.
Wurst, AKA German Sausage
For starters, the quintessential German cuisine, is made up of your choice of pork, beef, chicken or veal. Whether it’s Bratwurst, Weisswurst or Knackwurst you want, the sky is the limit. In Germany it is not only eaten at festivals, but also for breakfast. And one major advantage of the Wurst is that you can enjoy it alongside your other Oktoberfest favorite foods, Sauerkraut and mustard. Yum. In addition, the wurst can be stuffed with all sorts of delicious flavors including Thai spices, herbs and even cheese or mushrooms. Quite a variety of choices for those needing a punch of flavor. In addition, a standard wurst sausage only contains around 200 calories—definitely not a calorie-laden meal.
There’s also nothing quite like the combination of wurst and beer to fill you right up, which leads me to my negatives. Is wurst the worst option? Eating an exorbitant amount wurst while drinking large steins filled with beer is a lot to consume, and is a little too much for me to eat and drink all afternoon. I’d much rather snack on pretzels for most of the day. Chances of you feeling very full, very quickly run high with this one. Also, not everyone can enjoy the German sausage at Oktoberfest. If you don’t eat meat, you’re out of luck. And any sort of vegetarian option just won’t be the same.
German Pretzel
The German pretzel is, without a doubt, delicious. The treat is a widely popular Oktoberfest food and the unusual twisted shape is meant to resemble that of a child’s arms crossed in prayer. Interesting tidbit, but for the rest of us, it’s simply seen as an iconic symbol of the Oktoberfest holiday. One of the many advantageous of the pretzel is that it can be eaten with delicious Bavarian mustard that is both spicy and sweet. Truthfully, I’ve been known to order the pretzel just so I can eat the mustard. The pretzel is also a great accompaniment to that beer you’ll most certainly be imbibing. And in health news, pretzels are full of B vitamins as well as calcium, according to Livestrong.com. Hey, that’s something. And the pretzel is somewhat versatile as it can be eaten simply as pretzel bread, warm and salted, or even as pretzel stick snacks.
As for the negatives, let’s face it: chances of you eating pretzel sticks at Oktoberfest are as slim as the sticks themselves. Pretzels are big, and not something one wants to carry in their hand as they make their way through the festival. A large soft pretzel is also loaded with carbs and, if you’re watching your pre-holiday weight, the pretzel is not your best friend. The typical amount of calories in a large soft pretzel rounds out close to 500 calories (whomp whomp). And besides the shape, there really isn’t too much variety when it comes to the pretzel. A large, soft pretzel generally tastes exactly how it sounds. Fairly boring.
Winner: Wurst.
Sorry to all of the pretzel fans out there, but you can have have your wurst and eat it too. A standard bratwurst has half the amount of calories as a large pretzel, but double the amount of taste. Sausages are packed with flavor and can be eaten with a number of delicious German condiments like mustard and sauerkraut. In addition, they come in a variety of different flavors and spices; it’s truly the Oktoberfest food that never gets old.
