The Traditional Bavarian Breakfast You Need To Start Your Oktoberfest Celebrations

Oktoberfest celebrations happen all around the world now, but the best of the best will always be in the place where it first began. The original Oktoberfest was a wedding celebration for the Crown Prince of Bavaria, which is today the largest state in Germany. Its capital city, Munich, hosts the world's largest Oktoberfest, and regional cuisine is at the forefront of the festivities. Probably the most famous Bavarian food is the pretzel, which is a perfect Oktoberfest food in its own right, but only scratches the surface of Bavarian cuisine. To fully embrace the Oktoberfest spirit, you should start with the very first meal of the day.

Oktoberfest is the perfect time to try the signature Bavarian breakfast known as weißwurstfrühstück. The name of this meal translates to "white sausage breakfast," and it consists of four classically German items: white sausages, soft pretzels, sweet mustard, and a cold glass of beer. That's right, beer for breakfast. Of course, this isn't all too unusual in Bavarian culture, where the morning meal also serves as a time to gather and socialize at pubs and restaurants. Beer hails the start of Oktoberfest, so it only seems fitting to hail the start of your day with it. First, pick an Oktoberfest style of beer, and once you've got your brew, it's time to get into the meat of things.

Weißwurstfrühstück gets its name from a uniquely Bavarian style of sausage called weißwurst, meaning "white sausage". It's made from a mixture of veal and pork, combined with various seasonings. Different butchers put their own spins on the flavorings, but weißwurst usually contains onions, cardamom, and mace (the outer layer of a nutmeg seed).

The sausage is characterized by its extremely thin casing, which diners typically remove before eating. Another signature of weißwurst is that it's traditionally cooked by simmering in hot water. Legend has it that weißwurst was mistakenly invented by a butcher who ran out of his usual sausage casings and had to use thinner ones. Fearing they were too delicate for frying, he dropped them in a pot to boil instead.

For a proper weißwurstfrühstück, get some white sausages from a local butcher and give them a simmer. Serve them up with your beer of choice and a warm (ideally homemade) soft pretzel. The last thing you'll want to seek out is a brand of sweet Bavarian mustard like Händlemaier's. Bavarian mustard is much different from the yellow and Dijon mustards most Americans stick to. Instead, the Bavarian style is deep brown in color, which it gets from brown sugar, giving it a uniquely sweet, yet slightly spicy flavor profile. With your Bavarian breakfast assembled, all that's left to do is raise your stein in celebration and dig in.