The World Cup is kicking off in less than 24 hours, with millions of fans expected to tune in as Mexico faces off against South Africa in the first match of the tournament tomorrow. As fans watch on in glee or horror in the weeks to come, it won’t just be the players dribbling this year. One meat-loving football fan has come up with a banger of a half-time snack.
Meet the Bavarian Weisswurst Queen
Julia Boebel, the 11th Bavarian weisswurst queen, is making white sausages shaped like footballers at her family butcher near Rittersbach, Germany. She explains: ‘The World Cup is taking place in the summer, and that’s definitely barbecue season. We sat down as a team and thought, what can we make for the barbecue using weisswurst?’
The result is a footballer-shaped sausage kicking a Franconian bratwurst ball, all held together with a green cocktail stick. To create these sporty sausages, Julia — decked out in a tiara, weisswurst queen sash, and food hygiene gear — pipes weisswurst pulp into footballer-shaped moulds laid out on a tray decorated to look like a pitch.
The Process
‘Once I’ve piped them all out, I’ll smooth the surface nice and even,’ she adds. Then, it’s over to the kettle where the meat is steamed. Once cooked through, Julia spears the footballer’s foot with the cocktail stick and attaches the all-important ball. Then it’s grilling time.
Julia cooks the footballers over indirect heat for about seven minutes and says they pair perfectly with a ‘pretzel stick topped with butter’. Showing off her creation, Julia chows down the bratwurst ball, gobbling it up in one bite.
Weisswurst Tradition
The Bavarian weisswurst queen is chosen each year to reign over the region’s famous veal and pork sausage, named for its pale colour. It is often seasoned with parsley, lemon, mace, onions, ginger, and cardamom.
This unique World Cup snack brings together tradition and sport, offering fans a tasty way to celebrate the tournament.
