Where can I buy Currywurst sauce in NYC?

[eatingraoul]

Hi, I know of a couple of places that serve currywurst, but I've been wanting to make my own .....Where can I find a bottle of this stuff? Traditional German stores in the city don't seem to have it.....

[jgradieoakes]

Did you try Schaeller and Weber?

[linguafood]

Most currywurst is made with shitty (i.e. no-brand) ketchup and cheap curry powder. It's really not a gourmet item. Of course, you could try curry ketchup (gross).

But seriously -- get some Heinz, and some dec curry powder, and you're on your way.

Na dann: Guten Appetit!

[eatingraoul]

Thanks! Some of the recipes online suggest canned tomato sauce...might try that instead of Heinz.

[MikeG]

There's a German sausage seller at the Grand Central Market - very high prices for the most part, but they might have it. Schaller & Weber has carried more than one brand in the past, anyway, though one I tried from them was pretty bad. (Helpful, I know, sorry!) In a tall red plastic bottle, if that doesn't describe them all. Oh, and unfortunately it's a good idea to check for sell/use by dates on their imported stuff, IMX.

Just out of curiosity/for future reference, what other traditional German store is there left here apart from Schaller & Weber?

[eatingraoul]

In the city only the ones you mentioned, the stand at Grand Central and Shaller and Weber. Blue Apron Foods in Brooklyn sells some German products, like mustard etc....But otherwise, you would have to go upstate....I think there was a review of a couple of those stores on Serious Eats recently.

[Peter B Wolf]

In actuallity, there is NO !! such thing (Curry Sauce), only Americans could dream up this stuff in the bottle.
Berliners mix a good Ketchup (Heinz) with 'ready' Curry powder, Roland brand is best imo, let steep overnight, not refrigerated. Get good Bratwurst like from Schaller & Weber, Usingers, Grothe & Weigel. That's all folks

[shanshan]

The last time I was in germany, I tried a curry wurst and would never have it again. It was in Berlin, and they essentially doused the sausage in ketchup, and then liberally dropped curry powder on it. Maybe the ketchup was also infused with the powder and I missed it.. but I did not find the sauce appealing...

[linguafood]

It's drunk food, not a culinary epiphany. I would say the same thing about poutine, Philly cheesesteak, and similar things.

[shanshan]

I was hoping for a culinary epiphany when having the two curry wursts I tried. They are very popular over there. I don't think being fast food should preclude being a culinary epiphany.

[linguafood]

I know how popular they are, having grown up in Germany. I'd still take a falafel sandwich or a döner over currywurst any time.

With one exception: Bier's Curry & Spieße located under the Friedrichstr. S-Bahn station. That one's pretty awesome, and it's got a really nice, spicy kick to it. Of course, their wurst is not just covered with the same lame ketchup and "curry" powder, but a homemade sauce with peppers. It's excellent drunk, and pretty good sober, which can't be said about many its cousins.

[michelley]

I had that in Germany. It really is just ketchup mixed with curry powder.

[jk1002]

Jup. When I was a kid we used to mix a little water into the ketchup, heat it, poured it over the sausage. You dont want to use plain unheated ketchup as it is too thick and it cools the sausage down too much.

There was a point when visiting home I established a schedule to fit as many currywurst meals into my vacation as possible. So I am guessing that makes me an expert.

Every place does it a little different. It is not though a "italien" style tomato sauce. Heinz Ketchup is a valid choice, even though I think more common is "Kraft" Ketchup which I haven't seen around here.

If someone wants to jazz it up, why not make it with ketchup from scratch? There are few recipes to be found online and in books but I havent tried that yet.

Cheers
JK