When you think of Volkswagen, its popular vehicles like the Volkswagen Golf or its iconic Beetle probably come to mind first. But what may surprise you is that VW’s most commonly sold product isn’t one of its popular cars. In fact, it doesn’t have wheels at all.

Volkswagen’s in-house best seller 

VW’s most commonly sold product is still pork sausage. Currywurst sausage, to be exact. VW butchers created the original recipe in 1973, and the recipe is still one of the company’s best-kept secrets. VW describes the flavor of their currywurst in-between “sweet” and “hot” spectrum. It has a bold yellow curry twang. For an added kick, there are hints of pepper and ginger too. 

How is the currywurst usually served, you might ask? VW says it’s customarily served as a link or diced into small pieces in a paper bowl. The sausage is also typically drizzled with ketchup and paired with a side of chips or what we would call fries. The type ketchup used is not exactly what Americans are used to, though.

VW has given its signature currywurst snack its own item number-199 398 500 A. What’s also pretty astonishing is that VW has produced more sausages than cars for the last few years annually. In 2019, the company made 6.8 million sausages and concurrently produced 6.2 million vehicles globally. VW says it usually makes 18,000 sausages a day, and that’s a lot of meat. 

Why does VW make sausage in the first place?

Sausage is one of the most popular foods in VW’s home base in Germany. VW has a long history of producing food for its factory employees too. When the company initially created its currywurst recipe for its staff in the 1970s, the dish became an instant hit. Realizing this, VW decided to sell its currywurst as an actual product in addition to making it in-house for its European factory workers. The company celebrated its 45th currywurst product anniversary in 2018.

VW’s currywurst is famous for its fatty pork content. The company has a team of experienced butchers, some of which have been making the sausage since the ’70s. The group usually goes to local farms in Wolfsburg, Germany, for the pork meat. And while VW’s sausage is known for its pork flavor, there’s also a vegetarian version of the sausage. VW started making its vegetarian sausage in 2010. 

Can we get the currywurst in the U.S.?

Europeans can order VW’s currywurst like they would order any other spare VW part. Sometimes the company will even throw in some sausage as a complimentary gift for its European customers. But after all of these years, Americans still can’t import VW’s currywurst to the U.S. If you really want to try it, your best bet is to try it locally on a trip to Germany. You could also try to make a copycat version