Why is the local pair of Frankfurters in Frankfurt called Wiener Würstchen? Where did the hot dog originally come from? What is called a sausage in a robe?
A special, but “small treat”, can be found at the “Würstelstand”, a kind of snack bar with a philosophical character, where many “types” of the Danube metropolis like to meet for a chat. From the court councillor to the simple worker, you stand side by side and enjoy your sausage, in whatever form.
The Frankfurt couple has a history that is specific to the German capital, but has “German roots”. The German butcher family Lahner ran their business in Vienna between 1804 and 1867.
The eldest son, Johann Georg, trained as a butcher in Frankfurt am Main and initially developed sausages with “pork belly and bacon” for the citizens of his home town, a very filling and high-calorie meal that was a little too coarse for the more sensitive Viennese palate.
He therefore devised a finer meat mixture of roasted pork and beef, which he filled into sheep casings. Sheep intestines because they are thin and soft. When eaten, they dissolve easily in the stomach. The sheep casings were also known as “Saitlinge”, which have a diameter of 22 to 24 cm.
A pair of frankfurters weighs 120 to 140 grams and the length of the meat is 12 cm. Sometimes they are also longer. During preparation, they are boiled in water heated to 75 degrees, then cooled in the same water and smoked.
The famous “Sacherwürstel ” are a variation of the “Frankfurter Würstel” developed by Johann Georg Lahner. Another method of serving “Frankfurters” is known as “Frankfurters in a robe” and was allegedly invented in Vienna in 1906 (no written evidence exists). Frankfurter sausages are offered in a pastry casing.
This dish was first presented in the USA on the Austrian stand at the 1892 World’s Fair in Chicago. The Americans liked the “Frankfurter in a robe”, which they soon called a “hot dog”. This soon developed into a kind of staple food.
But this also existed in Europe in the second half of the 18th century. The “hot dog” clearly has roots in Vienna. The younger brother of Giacomo Casanova, Franceso, appreciated this
“Ur-Hot-Dog” immensely. It was his favorite dish, which he enjoyed to the full.
Time Travel Tip: The Bitzinger sausage stand near the Albertina offers all kinds of sausages and is very popular. There is a sausage stand on every corner in Vienna.
