His guests at the Zum ewigen Licht Gasthaus on the Marienplatz had already placed their breakfast orders and Sepp had no time to run out and buy more skins. So he stuffed them into pig intestines instead.

Fearing the skins would burst if he grilled or fried them, Sepp warmed his delicate new sausages in hot water and served them anxiously to his guests, as the story goes.

Today, exactly 150 years later, Munich's butchers stuff more than 75 million Weisswursts a year. They are one of Germany's most coveted delicacies and battles rage over 'real' Weisswursts and how to enjoy them.

Weisswurst quality is serious business these days.

In fact, to stave off the imitations popping up throughout Germany, an organization of Weisswurst enthusiasts has petitioned the EU to grant the Weisswurst its coveted Protected Geographical Indication seal. If they succeed, only a Weisswurst made in Munich will have the right to bear the label, "Original Munich Weisswurst."

Sepp Kraetz, Munich personality and owner of the popular Andechser am Dom restaurant and Hippodrom Oktoberfest tent, says freshness and colour are crucial.

"The sign of a good Weisswurst is color: it should be white as snow," says the former butcher and Weisswurst expert who has even created his own variety using champagne. "The only thing you should be able to see through the skin is the green flecks of fresh parsley inside. It's very important that the parsley is green and not gray. There should never be anything gray in any sausage, actually - that's a sign of poor quality."

He adds that it doesn't take an expert to judge a Weisswurt.

"When you cut open a Weisswurst it should smell fresh, and the filling should swell out at the ends," he said. "That tells you that the meat is high-quality and has been properly cooked. You won't be able to smell the parsley really, but you might notice a hint of lemon. If it looks and smells appetizing, it's first class."

Finding a good Weisswurst is just the first step of the Weisswurst experience. And for a meat-and-potatoes food like sausage, it entails surprisingly elaborate etiquette. A Weisswurst, as Munich residents say, shouldn't hear the church bells; that is, one shouldn't eat them after noon. Nor should you pair them with anything but (or less than) sweet Bavarian mustard, a pretzel and a Weissbier.

Ready to try them? Good. Head for Munich and settle in at the busiest beer garden you can find. Start with the Weissbier, then order your Weisswursts by the piece (two's the norm). The sweet mustard (grainy and brown), you'll find in a pot on your table, along with a basket of pretzels. When your Weisswursts are served, dollop a spoonful of mustard on your plate and remove your wurst one at a time from the pot, covering the pot afterwards with a piece of bread plate to keep the water warm.

Now comes the tricky part. Weisswursts are eaten peeled, and while the traditional technique is to snip open the ends and suck out the meat, you'll do best to use your silverware.

Start by slicing your Weisswurst in half. Then, tucking your fork into the exposed filling of one of the halves, carve off its opposite end. Poke your fork into the filling of the new piece and draw your knife lengthwise across the top, cutting just deeply enough to open the skin. With your fork still buried in the filling, slide your knife between the skin and the meat and pin the skin against the plate. Twist your fork like you're twirling spaghetti to roll the meat out of the skin, slather some mustard on it with your knife and enjoy.

By now, of course, you are hooked. So, after your meal, waddle over to the Viktualienmarkt and buy some Weisswursts (usually sold in packs of four or six) and a jar of sweet mustard (most shops carry Haendlmaier brand) to take home from any of the half-dozen or so resident butcher shops.

Cooking Weisswursts on the stovetop can be tricky - put them in water that's too hot and they'll burst – as your novice Weisswurst correspondents discovered.

There is a foolproof way to heat them just right, though, without a stove. Lay your Weisswursts in an ordinary coffee pot, run water through the machine just as you would making coffee and let them sit for half an hour. Serve them right from the pot.

April 2007

Copyright Chris Gray and Oliver Bentz