Liverwurst

Slices of liverwurst

liverwurst, boiled and smoked

The word liverwurst is an anglicization of German Leberwurst, meaning "liver sausage". It is a sausage eaten in large parts of Europe, including Germany, Austria, Poland, Hungary, Croatia, Slovenia, Serbia, the Netherlands, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Romania (especially in Transylvania).

Most liverwurst varieties are spreadable. Liverwurst usually contains pigs' or calves' livers. Other ingredients are meat (notably veal), fat, and spices including ground black pepper, marjoram, allspice, thyme, ground mustard seed, or nutmeg. Many regions in Germany have distinct recipes for liverwurst. Adding ingredients like pieces of onion or bacon to the recipe make each variety of liverwurst very important to cultural identity. For example, the Thüringer Leberwurst has a Protected Geographical Status throughout the EU. Recently, more exotic additions such as cowberries and mushrooms have gained popularity.

Variants

Germany

In Germany, liverwurst is customarily served on open sandwiches, often with mustard or pickled cucumber.

The Netherlands

In the Netherlands, liverwurst is customarily served on open sandwiches. The Dutch translation of liverwurst is leverworst. Groningen and The Hague are known of their own type of liverwurst; Groninger leverworst in Groningen and Haagse leverworst from The Hague.

Hungary

In Hungary, liverwurst is customarily served on open sandwiches, or with cheese as a filling for pancakes which are baked in the oven.

Romania

In Romania Liverwurst is called Lebar,^[1] but unlike the German sausage Leberwurst that uses beef, the Lebar uses only pork. Lebar is eaten mainly for the winter holidays. It tastes fragrant and sweet with liver pâté. It is generally used as Christmas Eve dinner, sliced on bread with mustard and muraturi.^[2]

USA

Liverwurst is typically eaten as is. It is often served as traditional or as open-faced sandwiches. It is popular in North America with red onion and mustard on rye or whole grain bread. In Germany, the Southern USA, and the Midwestern USA, liverwurst is served with slices of gherkin that are pickled with sugar, vinegar, and mustard seeds. In the Northeast USA, liverwurst is served with gherkins that are pickled with salt and a usual addition of dill.

In the Midwestern United States, Liverwurst is also known as Liver Sausage or Braunschweiger. It is the main course for Pre-Thanksgiving Pot Luck Lunches.^{[citation needed]} Liverwurst is typically served on crackers or in sandwiches.

Poland

Pasztetowa is made using calf's liver, which is more substantial in texture than pork, is more refined taste and generally served on "Rye" bread with horseradish-style mustard. Pasztetowa is popular throughout the year, but is most frequently served at Christmas and Easter.

See also

• Braunschweiger
• Pâté
• Chopped liver

Notes and references

Look up liverwurst in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.