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Currywurst is a snack with serious cult status. Germans eat an estimated 800 million each year. And perhaps surprisingly, the pork sausage – sliced and smothered with curry ketchup – is Volkswagen’s bestselling product.

Listed as item number 199 398 500 A, the Volkswagen currywurst is celebrating its 45th birthday. Last year alone, the automaker made 6.8 million sausages – more than the number of VW vehicles sold worldwide.

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The current recipe dates back to 1976, and remains a closely guarded secret. Made in-house by a team of 30 – “most of them trained butchers” – currywurst has become a beloved Volkswagen staple.

Photo by Volkswagen

It’s served in factory cafeterias, gifted by the five-pack to customers, and sold in grocery stores under the brand name “Volkswagen Originalteil” (“original parts”).

“Three times a week, the (flagship plant in Wolfsburg) takes in fresh pork from nearby farms and grinds choice cuts into a precise mix,” VW said in a statement.