Bratwurst (BRAHT-voorst) Literally “finely chopped meat sausage” From brät (finely chopped sausage meat) + wurst (sausage). It’s often thought to come from braten (to fry or roast), because bratwurst is usually fried or grilled, but the older meaning is about the chopped meat inside. Bratwurst has strong regional pride, especially in Thuringia, Bavaria, and Franconia, with written mentions going back to the 1300s and 1400s.