Wild for sausage: Kreuzberger Markthalle celebrates creative wild meat cuisine!

Wild for sausage: Kreuzberger Markthalle celebrates creative wild meat cuisine!

Anyone looking for something out of the ordinary in culinary terms will currently find a very special attraction in Berlin: Thomas Barthelmes, who is hunting for customers with his “Wilde Wurst” stand in the Kreuzberg Market Hall IX. Barthelmes discovered his passion for preparing game meat during the Corona epidemic and delights his buyers with unusual sausage creations. Whether with lemons, thyme and parmesan or with a Persian touch of dried lime - he has a lot going on.

The meat for its products comes mainly from wild boar, but is also sometimes combined with red deer and domestic pig. These mixtures are not only interesting in terms of taste, they also help to balance out the dryness of the deer meat. “I process 200 to 300 kilos of game meat every month, with particular use being the neck and shoulder,” reports Barthelmes. He appreciates working with hunters like Konstantin Biermann, who is known for hunting in Brandenburg areas and primarily shoots wild boar, roe deer, red deer and fallow deer.

Sustainability in hunting

However, the relationship between game and hunting is not just a culinary matter. In fact, hunting plays a crucial role in land management. Overpopulation of wild animals can cause significant damage to agriculture, and therefore sustainable management is essential. The Federal Hunting Act regulates these practical aspects and ensures that hunting takes place in accordance with the needs of land users. Hunters are not only responsible for monitoring game populations, but also for caring for and caring for the animals.

As part of sustainable hunting, a catalog of criteria was recently published by the International Council for the Conservation of Game and Hunting (CIC) and the German Hunting Association (DJV). This includes 22 criteria that address ecological and social challenges and illustrate the value of hunting for preserving biodiversity. Dr. Wilhelm von Trott zu Solz, the head of the CIC delegation, describes this catalog of criteria as a guideline that should make it possible to combine hunting and nature conservation.

Game meat and health

Game meat is very popular not only from a taste point of view, but also from a health point of view. The fat content of game meat is on average 20 percent. In order to do justice to different tastes, Barthelmes occasionally combines domestic pig liver in the case of liver sausage, as wild boar liver is often difficult to obtain. The combination of game and other types of meat not only protects the animals, but also offers a variety that is very popular on the market.

“Every bite counts,” says Barthelmes, whose stand now attracts a diverse customer base. In particular, the combination of game and domestic pork softens the intense game flavor and makes it more appealing to new game meat consumers. But in addition to enjoyment, it is above all the responsibility of the hunters to care for and protect the animals. Ultimately, in the spirit of sustainability and the respective legal regulations, it is important to have a “good hand” in order to maintain the balance between people and nature.

And what comes after the hunt? Processing the game is an equally important step: After shooting, the game is broken up, the muscle meat is cooled and prepared differently depending on the region. Many connoisseurs appreciate that wild hunting and cooking traditions are on our menu and raise awareness of local and sustainable nutrition.

The “Wild Sausage” not only caters to the palate, but also to the conscience – with a good piece of game meat from a trusted hunter.

Further information about hunting and its general conditions can be found on the website BMEL and des DJV.