Whose sausage is it anyway? German states battle over who invented Bratwurst

702's Bongani Bingwa chats to international correspondent Adam Gilchrist.

Listen to their conversation in the audio clip below [skip to 2:53]:

A sizzling dispute has erupted between two German states over who can claim bragging rights to the world’s oldest Bratwurst stand.

The BBC reports that for years Bavaria’s Wurstkuchl in Regensburg proudly held the title, with documentation dating back to 1378. 

But historians in Thuringia have uncovered a juicy surprise, a document from 1269 referencing a sausage stand in Erfurt, more than a century earlier.

The newly discovered record mentions a 'Brathütte' and a roasting pan, suggesting the bratwurst business was already smoking in Thuringia long before Regensburg fired up its grill. 

While Erfurt has yet to identify the original stand’s location or launch a rival restaurant, the find has certainly spiced up the debate.

"Does it matter? Who wants a wurst anyway? Besides, we are not even mentioning Iraq or old-style Persia, where the sausage was invented about two and a half thousand years before the Germans, and don't get me started on British bangers... we will be here all day!" 

- Adam Gilchrist

Scroll up to listen to the full conversation.