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The wurst of times: Readers come out in defense of liverwurst
“Living without liverwurst is like not living.”
You may have gathered from the tone of our original poll asking people to weigh in on the fate of liverwurst that we suspected it wouldn’t be much missed if it went away. (Especially in the wake of the Boar’s Head liverwurst scandal that led the company to discontinue the product.) In fact, cold cut snobs that we are, we wondered if anyone would even bother to answer the question.
As it turns out, though, we severely underestimated der liverwurst brigade. Not only did more than 300 people respond, they voted more than 2-to-1 in favor of liverwurst and bemoaned the possibility of its eventual demise. And dozens weighed in with their specific reasons or with their own, personal liverwurst memories, which apparently are very much a thing.
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Granted, for some the preservation of liverwurst was strictly utilitarian — “It’s the only way I can get pills in my dogs,” wrote one reader — but for many, their feelings about liverwurst were deeply rooted in nostalgia for a simpler, more liverwurst-focused time.
“My dad and I used to enjoy liverwurst sandwiches together,” wrote CT from Melrose. “A thick slab of liverwurst on fresh white bread with yellow mustard. I haven’t had one in years but the next time I am at J. Pace I will grab some and think about my dad while I enjoy a taste of the past.”
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Though for some, the memories weren’t quite as idyllic. “It’s the only thing we had to eat,” wrote Percy T. of Dorchester. “And when the Germans were dropping bombs on our grandmother’s house in Sussex, we didn’t really stop to complain about it.”
If liverwurst disappears forever, will you miss it?
Yes!
65%
Um, no
26%
I will miss the idea of liverwurst, but not liverwurst itself
8%
Other
1%
If anything, readers hoped that the exit of Boar’s Head from the market would open up a path for other, less troubled meat companies to thrive in the liverwurst space. “I’ll take a pass on listeria-wurst,” wrote Allison of Jamaica Plain. “I’ll probably end up searching for a small craft smokehouse’s version that pays more attention to production cleanliness.”
As for other cold cuts that should be retired along with, or instead of, liverwurst, head cheese was far and away the most mentioned — “just the name is gross,” Margaret G. of Cherry Hill, New Jersey, sagely pointed out — with olive and pimento loaf close behind.
“As a former deli worker, I beg these cold cuts companies to stop making unnatural products like macaroni and cheese loaf, olive loaf, pimento loaf, and really anything that ends in ‘loaf’ that doesn’t involve bread,” wrote Heather from Boston, clearly traumatized.
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But others advised against the slippery slope of cold cut retirement in general. “All cold cuts are great,” wrote one anonymous respondent. “They’re great comfort foods, and bring back fond memories of simpler days when a trip to the deli was a special occasion — something divine and anticipated — and one marked by the arrival of a special package, cocooned in wax paper and fastened with masking tape, and placed in the top seat of the shopping cart like precious cargo.”
See below for more comments from readers on the ins and outs of liverwurst as we know it.
Responses have been edited for length and clarity.
Liverwurst would be missed
“Once every couple of years I love a liverwurst, limburger, and onion sandwich. Perfect with a cold lager!” — Kate, Flagstaff, Arizona
“While I don’t eat liverwurst frequently, I do get the craving for it every now and again. One shouldn’t turn up their nose at a prime example of the long culinary tradition using off-cuts and organ meats to get the most out of meat livestock. Just think of it as a more working class version of pâté.” — Allison, Jamaica Plain
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“I grew up eating it for lunch. The butcher at our supermarket used to call me the ‘Liverwurst Kid.” — M. Peterson, Wilmington
“Liverwurst, raw onions, swiss, mayo, mustard on rye or pumpernickel is great!” — Jack D., St. Augustine, Florida
“I am in my 70s and from Milwaukee, Wisconsin originally. I live in Washington state now. Liver sausage was very popular for sandwiches when I was growing up. There were several brands at our local deli. Kemens was my favorite. … I like a very smooth texture. I sometimes buy Jones Dairy Farm liver sausage now. I still order liver sausage from Usinger’s in Milwaukee for the holidays! They have a few different varieties. It ships well from them, excellent quality.” — Karen C., Lacey, Washington
“Liverwurst was a fond part of my childhood. My Grampa made homemade bread when he retired, and so enjoyed a good liverwurst or ham sandwich, surrounded by thick generous slices of his homemade bread and mayonnaise. It was always a great day when we visited — the house warm and inviting with the arrival of a fresh loaf of bread from the oven — and my Grampa, content, and smiling, enjoying the rewards of his labor with a hearty liverwurst sandwich.” — Anonymous
“I prefer Brandt brand liverwurst (available in all Canadian grocery stores). Hope this allows another brand to enter the market since Boar’s Head had a chokehold.” — Linda, Charlestown
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“German and grew up on it. My kids love it as well. Also has a lot of iron. But you have to get past the name, then it is quite tasty on bread with sweet mustard and maybe an egg.” — Anonymous, Ipswich
“Late night, a cold wind slaps rain against the window as the lights dim for the city’s brief slumber. Two slices of rye bread gently slathered with mustard, the tang of vinegar fills the small dim kitchen. Peel the wrapper back, slowly coaxing slices of the friable delight from the turgid log with the sharp knife. Paper thin onion slices fall from the redolent sphere, laid lovingly over the thick disks of liverwurst. Lettuce? Nay, you’re a purist. Gently uncap a chilled beer, bite into the midnight feast, and contemplate the great accomplishments of human civilization.” — Craig W., Florida
“I love liverwurst on rye bread with spicy brown mustard. Only when it’s chilly outside.” — Emily M., Chelmsford
“When I was growing up in Worcester, my grandfather would make me tiny liverwurst sandwiches as an after-school snack. He’d make it [with] whole slices of real black bread from the Lithuanian bakery in Brockton and Mother Goose liverwurst, and then cut little squares of rye — no crust! — and tiny slices of liverwurst to fit. We’d delight in eating them together, since neither my grandmother nor my mother would touch the stuff. I still indulge in dark-rye-and-liverwurst when I need some nostalgic comfort food.” — Norah, Vineyard Haven
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“Living without liverwurst is like not living.” — Anonymous
“Liverwurst is so good. My Grandparents were from Germany and I grew up eating it and other wursts that people think are disgusting, but admit they haven’t actually tried them. I won’t miss Boar’s Head, though — it’s not as good as Braunschweiger or getting it fresh made by a real German butcher, which I haven’t found here in Mass. yet, but there’s a great one in Syracuse, New York, called Steigerwalds.” — Margaret, Billerica
“My dad owned a grocery store years ago — we used to sell liverwurst and had it for lunch many days. Last time I remember eating liverwurst was at Pats tailgate 2009. My brother brought cigars and liverwurst. What a combo!” — Michael S., Dedham
“I come from a long line of liverwurst lovers. As a kid I would have liverwurst and mayo sandwiches on white bread. Now as an adult I prefer it on rye with mustard and cukes. We enjoy liverwurst from Karl’s Sausage Kitchen in Danvers, so no worries here — unless they stop making it, then that would be a crying shame.” — Tilda W., Arlington
Can live without liverwurst
“Liverwurst, peanut butter and ketchup sandwiches were a (gross, looking back) staple of my pre-teen years. Then I cut the ketchup and even became (in)famous for eating liverwurst and peanut butter sandwiches throughout college. Highlight was at a 20-year reunion, one of my old roommates, still grossed out by it, wondered if it was still my go-to food! Probably the main reason I turned vegetarian!” — Doug G., Needham
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“I won’t miss Boar’s Head liverwurst. Mother Goose liverwurst is so much better … I’d buy it now if I could find it in stores.” — Elaine, Raynham
“I used to work at Stop & Shop in the deli department — liverwurst was one of the (no pun intended) worst cold cuts I had to slice, especially when the person ordering it wanted it ‘sliced thin.’ Yup, have fun trying to pull that apart when you get it home … had to stop and clean the slicer every time after slicing the liverwurst because it literally stuck to the blade.” — Steve C., Chelmsford
“For the most part, I say good riddance. I will, however, pour one out for my Nana, who ate liverwurst sandwiches most every week when I was a child. I recall one unfortunate day that I opened the family fridge and grabbed a deli bag, which I believed to have salami in it. As I went to place a couple slices on some bread for a sandwich though, I was horrified to find that I had mistakenly grabbed the bag with liverwurst, which had a similar shape and color. The sight of it disgusted me, but it sure gave my Nana a laugh.” — Heather A., Boston
“White bread and liverwurst sandwiches with yellow mustard when I was kid … I hated getting that in my lunch!” — Robin, Acton
“I have never eaten liverwurst, so I won’t miss it. But we don’t want to get rid of ‘chopped liver’ because then — what would rejected people be?” — Charlie, North Shore
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Boston.com occasionally interacts with readers by conducting informal polls and surveys. These results should be read as an unscientific gauge of readers’ opinion.
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