Aachener Weihnachts-Leberwurst

For over 120 years, Aachen's Christmas sausage has played an integral part in the cultural tradition of the city and has made its butcher shops famous. Aachener Weihnachts-Leberwurst dates back to the 19th century, when the butchers of Aachen perfected the production of Aachener (Öcher) sausage for the holiday season, always using fresh liver in the process. A special feature of the Aachen Christmas liverwurst is the addition of cream and the use of a special mix of spices, which most often includes cardamom, anise, coriander, and cranberries or honey. The renowned quality and reputation of this delicacy have been established through the Aachen Christmas sausage competition which has been held for over 40 years. During this event, trained and independent judges assess the quality of the products on the basis of German Agricultural Society standards.