Berlin’s favourite snack is served on a small paper tray with a tiny plastic fork: a sausage cut into chunks, drowned in curry-spiced ketchup, dusted with more curry powder, with fries or a roll on the side. Office workers, students and taxi drivers eat it standing at the counter of an Imbiss.
Currywurst is sliced sausage with curry ketchup and curry powder, Berlin’s classic street food since the late 1940s. The standard Berlin sausage is pork, but halal currywurst made with beef or poultry sausage is easy to find at Turkish- and Arab-run snack bars in districts such as Kreuzberg, Neukölln and Wedding. In 2026 a currywurst costs roughly €3.50–6, or €6–9 with fries. Ask for halal or check the sign before you order.
This guide covers where currywurst came from, how it is served, how to find a halal one, prices and the German you need.
A post-war invention
Currywurst is usually credited to Herta Heuwer, who is said to have mixed ketchup, curry powder and spices at her Berlin snack stand in 1949 and served it over grilled sausage. The dish spread across West Germany and became a national favourite.
Berlin and the Ruhr region still argue about who makes it best.
How it is served
| Choice | What it means |
|---|---|
| Mit Darm / ohne Darm | With skin / without skin; the Berlin classic is often skinless |
| Mit Pommes | With fries |
| Mit Brötchen | With a bread roll |
| Schärfe | Spice level; some stands offer several heat levels |
| Pommes rot-weiß | Fries with ketchup and mayonnaise |
Pork, beef and halal
| Sausage | Halal check |
|---|---|
| Standard Berlin currywurst | Usually pork: not halal |
| Rindswurst (beef sausage) | Pork-free, but the beef is not halal unless the stand says so |
| Geflügelwurst (poultry sausage) | Pork-free, but not halal unless stated |
| Halal currywurst | Beef or poultry sausage from a halal butcher; sold at many Turkish- and Arab-run stands |
Halal note: classic Berlin currywurst is pork, and even beef sausages at ordinary stands are not halal-slaughtered and are usually grilled next to pork. Look for halal on the sign or menu, often at Turkish- and Arab-run Imbiss stands in Kreuzberg, Neukölln, Wedding and Moabit, where you can also get döner kebab, lahmacun and more. Curry ketchup itself contains no pork. See our halal food travel guide.
Where to eat it
- Halal Imbiss stands in Kreuzberg and Neukölln – halal currywurst alongside döner and grilled dishes.
- Wedding and Moabit – residential districts with many Turkish and Arab snack bars and halal butchers.
- Famous historic stands – such as Konnopke’s Imbiss under the elevated U-Bahn in Prenzlauer Berg, open since the 1930s; these serve pork, so they are for history rather than lunch if you eat halal.
Many Imbiss stands open late and serve currywurst into the night.
Make halal currywurst at home
- Grill or pan-fry halal beef or chicken sausages.
- Warm 200 ml tomato ketchup with 1–2 tsp curry powder, 1 tsp paprika, a pinch of cayenne and a splash of apple juice or water.
- Slice the sausages, pour over the sauce, and dust with more curry powder.
- Serve with fries or a bread roll.
What it costs (2026)
| Order | Typical price |
|---|---|
| Currywurst | About €3.50–6 |
| Currywurst with fries | About €6–9 |
| Döner kebab at a halal Imbiss | About €6–9 |
Plan your budget with the Germany food budget calculator and see tipping in Germany.
German phrases
| Say | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Eine Currywurst mit Pommes, bitte | A currywurst with fries, please |
| Ist die Wurst halal? | Is the sausage halal? |
| Ist das Schweinefleisch? | Is it pork? |
| Rindswurst oder Geflügel? | Beef or poultry sausage? |
| Nicht so scharf | Not too spicy |
Frequently asked questions
Is currywurst halal?
The classic Berlin currywurst is pork. Halal versions with beef or poultry sausage are sold at many Turkish- and Arab-run stands; look for the halal sign.
Who invented currywurst?
It is usually credited to Herta Heuwer in Berlin in 1949.
Where can I find halal currywurst in Berlin?
In Kreuzberg, Neukölln, Wedding and Moabit, at halal Imbiss stands.
How much is a currywurst in Berlin?
About €3.50–6 in 2026, or €6–9 with fries.
More from Germany: Christmas market food and Black Forest cake. See all Germany food guides.
Sources
- visitBerlin – official Berlin tourism site.
- Currywurst.
