A Berlin robber armed only with a barbeque fork attempted to hold up a supermarket on Thursday night.

He was initially succesful in the robbery of a discount supermarket with the cashier handing over cash, police said.

But he was thwarted in his getaway when a fellow employee pushed him into a supermarket trolley and he dropped his loot.

Police said he fled the scene.

In January a man armed with a barbeque fork stabbed his housemate at a train station in the southern German town of Amerang.

Barbequeing, known as grillen, is a popular pastime in Germany. It seems robbing supermarkets in Berlin is too.

In February two Berlin supermarkets and two Berlin convenience stores were robbed within hours of each other, though they used the time-honored method of guns and knives for intimadation.

10 ways to eat a German sausage Bratwurst It is a favorite in Germany, and each region has its own version. There are over 50 kinds of bratwurst, and they all vary in size, texture and seasoning - so no wonder it's confusing. Although Germans now associate "Brat" with "braten," which means to fry, broil or grill, the name originally derives from Old High German: "Brät" meant finely chopped meat.

10 ways to eat a German sausage Nürnberger (Nuremberger) Among the different varieties of Bratwurst, you can recognize the one produced in Nuremberg by its size. It's surprisingly small, not much bigger than a pinkie finger. Historical documents already mentioned this wurst back in 1313. These sausages are traditionally grilled over flames, served six at a time, and accompanied by sauerkraut and potatoes with horseradish or mustard on the side.

10 ways to eat a German sausage Currywurst A currywurst is simply a steamed bratwurst seasoned with ketchup and covered with curry powder. In a country specialized in high-tech cars, it sounds a bit exaggerated to call this fast-food snack an "invention," but Herta Heuwer, the Berlin cook who developed the special sauce, actually patented it in 1959. It's since become a street food classic. There's even a currywurst museum in Berlin.

10 ways to eat a German sausage Weisswurst This veal Bavarian sausage translates as "white sausage" for its color. It has no preservatives, nor is it smoked, which is why it's meant to be eaten fresh the day it was made. A German saying recommends the Weisswurst should never get to hear the church bells ring at noon. To eat it, some suck out the meat from the skin, or, more discreetly, cut it in half and roll out the filling with a fork.

10 ways to eat a German sausage Blutwurst The German Blutwurst (blood sausage) is usually made with pork blood and bacon. As it is already cooked, it does not need to be eaten hot - but some people do. Some regions include it in dishes with colorful names: the Rhineland's "Himmel und Erde" (Sky and Earth) combines it with mashed potatoes and apple sauce. "Tote Oma" (Dead Grandma) is Berlin's way of serving it with liverwurst and potatoes.

10 ways to eat a German sausage Landjäger The Landjäger is a smoked semi-dried sausage traditionally made in different German-speaking countries. It can be kept without refrigeration, which is why it became a popular snack for everyone spending time outdoors, from hikers to soldiers. "Jäger" means "hunter" in German.

10 ways to eat a German sausage Mettwurst This is another type of sausage which can be very different from region to region. Strongly flavored, its minced meat (usually pork, but sometimes beef) is preserved through a curing and smoking process. In the South of Germany, it is usually spreadable, whereas the northern varieties are harder and more like salami.

10 ways to eat a German sausage Leberwurst There are different forms of Leberwurst, which has its anglicized form, "liverwurst." They can generally be defined as German pre-cooked sausages which are spreadable. As the name reveals, they usually contain liver - often from pigs or calves, but some varieties are made from goose, turkey or even anchovies.

10 ways to eat a German sausage Teewurst From breakfast to that last evening snack, Germans have traditionally found a way to eat sausage throughout the day. Teewurst means "tea sausage," a name which is believed to come from it being served in sandwiches at teatime. What makes it so easy to spread? The fat: It makes up about 30 to 40 percent of this rich wurst.

10 ways to eat a German sausage Salami Salami is typically Italian, but it is just as popular in sausage-loving Germany - and it's much more than just a pizza topping. If Italians usually stick to coffee and sweet bread rolls for breakfast, Germans will gladly serve slices of salami first thing in the morning, too. They'll enjoy it all day, as salami shows up for the simple evening meal called "Abendbrot" as well. Author: Elizabeth Grenier



Barbeque forks have often been used as weapons around the world. A US police officer accidentally shot a barbeque-fork-wielding man in 2015. In Australia a man was stabbed 15 times with a barbeque fork after a drug deal gone wrong in 2013. And in 2015 a dispute over "the last rib" at a barbeque ended with an American woman stabbing a guest with a barbeque fork.

A man armed with a kebab knife killed a man and injured five others in the southwest German town of Reutlingen in 2016.

aw/rt (dpa)