A State-by-State Guide to the Most Iconic Foods in America

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Wisconsin: Bratwurst

Wisconsin, America’s Dairyland, is also the heartland of beer, brats, and cheese – and nothing captures the Badger State’s spirit better than a sizzling bratwurst. Brought by German immigrants, bratwursts (pork sausages) have been enthusiastically adopted into Wisconsin culture, especially in Sheboygan and Milwaukee. The typical Wisconsin “brat” is a coarse-ground sausage flavored with spices like garlic and marjoram, often cooked in an iconic way: first simmered in beer with sliced onions, and then grilled to crisp up the casing and add smoky char. This method infuses flavor and keeps the brat moist. The juicy sausages are then tucked into a bun (often a substantial semmel roll in Sheboygan) and topped with condiments like mustard, the stewed onions from the beer bath, and maybe sauerkraut. Brats are absolutely essential at any Wisconsin barbecue, tailgate, or sporting event – in fact, at Milwaukee Brewers baseball games, fans consume more brats than hot dogs, a unique claim to fame among MLB stadiums. The tradition is so strong that Miller Park (now American Family Field) holds “sausage races” mascots and has long sold more brats than dogs. Wisconsin even hosts huge bratwurst festivals, like Brat Fest in Madison, grilling tens of thousands of brats over a weekend. Enjoyed with a local beer (Milwaukee was once the beer capital, after all), the bratwurst is more than a meal – it’s part of Wisconsin’s social fabric. Whether at a Green Bay Packers tailgate in the chilly fall or a summer family picnic by one of Wisconsin’s many lakes, the savory smell of brats on the grill is bound to be in the air, symbolizing the state’s German heritage and love of hearty, celebratory food.