Why Volkswagen Makes Ketchup 

Volkswagen part number 00010 ZDK-259-101 is shiny, red, and pairs perfectly with fries. That's right, it's ketchup. Condiments are probably not the first thing that comes to mind when you think about Volkswagen, but the German car manufacturer has been producing its Gewürz Ketchup Brand for almost 30 years. The special sauce, which comes in an elegantly labeled glass bottle, is produced for a rather specific reason: to accompany Volkswagen's fan-favorite currywurst (part number 199 398 500 A). Yes, Volkswagen also makes sausages, and, in fact, they're some of the carmaker's top-selling products. In 2019, the company produced some 7 million currywurst, most of which was sold in shops and restaurants across Europe. 

VW's currywurst is made with a closely guarded recipe and top-secret spice blend and is ideally served with a generous slathering of Gewürz Ketchup Brand. You might be wondering why Volkswagen can't just serve its sausages with good old Heinz, but rest assured, this isn't your standard ketchup. Gewürz Ketchup Brand is described as being a bit thicker than your typical ketchup with a lovely balance of sour, sweet, and tangy flavors. It also boasts a spicy and smoky kick.

Volkswagen-branded ketchup and sausages might sound like an attention-seeking PR stunt (we're looking at you, Totino's pizza-flavored Cinnamon Toast Crunch). Actually, the German carmaker has been whipping out spicy, snappy sausages since 1973, and the accompanying ketchup has been in production since 1996. According to company lore, Volkswagen started making wursts and condiments to serve at the employee cafeterias in its more remote German plants. The spicy sausages were so popular that the company expanded production to make VW currywurst available for purchase at grocery stores and sports venues across Germany. Volkswagen's food line has since grown to include ketchup, vegan currywurst, and a spiced curry sauce (each with its own part number, of course).

Volkswagen's sausages and ketchup have been sold in Germany and other parts of Europe for decades but are sadly not yet available in the United States. However, the company brought a special shipment across the pond in 2024 to celebrate its 75th anniversary in America. The condiment was distributed for free through VW's online gear shop and sold out within hours. The German carmaker has not yet announced plans for a wider distribution of Gewürz Ketchup Brand in the U.S., but it seems the demand is there. Here's hoping for a future in which those of us based in the U.S. will be able to slather our knockwurst (which is not the same thing as bratwurst) in sweet and spicy, Volkswagen-branded ketchup.