Making the best of the Wurst
situation
By
Kregg P.J. Jorgenson
Published May 2006
Stop by Hans’ Sausage and
Delicatessen in Burien on any
Saturday and you’ll find more than
a top-notch selection of fine
traditional German sausages,
meats, and deli goods. You’ll find
a lively piece of Northern Europe
comfortably tucked away in the
south Seattle suburb.
Family owned and operated by Hans
and Marianne Stewin, the
well-stocked store offers over 30
varieties of ‘Old World’ sausages
and meats; everything from
bratwurst, bockwurst, knackwurst,
liverwurst, and if you’ll excuse
the pun, the best of the wurst.
Amidst a mix of languages you’ll
also find custom game sausage,
salami, polish sausage, gourmet
Westphalian hams, and the Austrian
style Wieners that put hot dogs to
shame. In addition there are fresh
German pretzels and bread,
sauerkraut, candies and
chocolates, spaetzel, magazines,
music, tapes, and a nice selection
of wines and beers or goods that
just can’t be found in substance
in local grocery stores.
The fact of the matter is most
chain stores just don’t stock
enough of the ‘German style’ fare
and all too often what’s left are
what some consider the generic
‘one size-one flavor’ fits all
commercial brands.
Still another reason why shoppers
can’t find the fresh specialty
sausages or meat products from
Europe, let alone from any other
foreign country in their local
markets, has to do with the strict
enforcement of government laws
that prohibit most, if not all
importations.
Perhaps no one is more aware of
this than travelers entering the
US who discover this upon arrival
and have their regional fresh
foodstuffs along with any flowers,
fruits and vegetables taken away
at the airport or land borders by
Federal officers. If a traveler
tries sneaking any of them in then
not only to the items get
confiscated but the offender
receives a hefty fine as well.
A little over three decades ago
this wurst case scenario and a
demand for the traditional and
more flavorful sausages and
hand-crafted foods led one expert
in the field to literally get to
the meat of the matter.
After immigrating to the United
States from Berlin, Germany via
Edmonton, Canada, Hans Stewin, a
professional journeyman sausage
maker, decided there was a better
answer and set up his first shop
in Burien. That was in 1974.
Since then the Stewin family and
long time employees have manned
the counters and filled the orders
for fresh European style
custom-made sausages, smoked and
cured meats, and tasty
delicatessen items- all up to the
rigorous government standards and
all in the classic European style.
Here it’s okay to substitute the
word classic for delicious because
the two go hand-in-hand.
Fueled by word-of-mouth, quality
products and efficient service
their business quickly grew and
expanded. Today it is one of the
leading specialty stores of its
kind with a successful 32-year
track record and a loyal customer
following.
The success was no fluke. In fact,
the formula blends well with the
family’s lineage. From apprentice
to journeyman status learned in
Berlin under his father’s tutelage
Hans, the master sausage maker,
has also trained his own son
Michael to carry on the proud
family legacy. The three
generations of expertise and the
long hours and hard work by the
family became the benchmarks for
their success.
These days, besides the many
transplanted Europeans who shop at
the store you’ll also find other
locals who have happily discovered
the ‘Old World’ charm and the
dozens of unrivaled flavors and
köstlich treats that the
delicatessen has to offer.
“What I like about this store is
their whole European approach to
the food thing; that quality and
taste matters,” said one obviously
satisfied customer ordering a
smoke cured ham sandwich on a
fresh roll to go (with custom-made
mustard). “That’s something the
chain restaurants have forgotten
and it’s why I don’t do fast-food
anymore. I come here instead for
better food.”
©
2006 All content property of European Weekly unless where otherwise
accredited
