General
Everything you need to know about the Brabantse worstenbroodjes
Have you ever eaten our Brabants specialty? The rectangle-shaped bun is made with white bread dough and filled with spiced minced meat and today it even belongs to the immaterial heritage list of UNESCO.
History of the worstenbroodje
In the past, farmers could not preserve their food as long as they do now. The ‘sausage roll’ was created to make meat last longer. By rolling meat in dough and baking it, people could keep it longer. Later, farmers took it to the baker and each had their own worstenbrood. This way they could enjoy the pork long after the slaughter.
It used to be eaten mainly during Christmas, after mass. But also with carnaval and Easter. Nowadays, worstenbroodjes are eaten all year round. The buns can no longer be bought only at the Brabantse bakery, but also outside the province. They are even sold at festivals. But what place does the delicious bun come from? Unfortunately, that’s not clear.
Contest
We even hold competitions for who can make the tastiest worstenbrood. Professional bakers and butchers, home bakers and students compete at Omroep Brabant's contest for who can make the tastiest worstenbroodjes.
Intangible heritage
Since March 2016, the worstenbroodje has been on UNESCO's list of valuable and unique intangible heritage. The reason why the worstenbroodje belongs to our culture, is because we often eat it with friends and family. We eat it on normal days, but also especially on special days like carnaval and Christmas, and at funerals. It is seen as an important tradition that should be preserved.
About twenty-five million worstenbroodjes are eaten every year. Sometimes it is eaten with a nice sauce, such as ketchup or curry and wrapped with a napkin because the buns are often very hot!
