German cuisine widely available, but do not play an important role. Meat is usually braised; fried dishes also exist, but these recipes usually originate from France and Austria. Several cooking methods used to soften tough cuts have evolved into national specialties, including "Sauerbraten" (sour roast), involving marinating beef, horse meat or venison in a vinegar or wine vinegar mixture over several days. A long tradition of sausage-making exists in Germany; more than 1,500 different types of sausage () are made. Most "Wurst" is made with natural casings of pork, sheep or lamb intestines. Among the most popular and most common are "Bratwurst",
Bratwurst country bread made predominantly from rye flour, less commonly with a "Brezel" (pretzel). It is a very popular form of fast food in German-speaking countries, often cooked and sold by street vendors from small stands. The Franconian sausage is a relatively long (), thick, coarse sausage, common to the whole Franconian region with slight variations. It dates back to 1313. With marjoram as a characteristic ingredient, it is close in taste to the "Nürnberger Bratwurst" but juicier, due to its size and coarseness. The "Fränkische Bratwurst" is traditionally served with sauerkraut or potato salad. "Bratwurst" originating in the city of