It was Saturday morning at Gaststatte Grossmarkthale, but it felt like Friday night.
The wood-paneled halls were full of people and waitresses in traditional dirndl dresses carrying trays of drinks, and the noise level gradually increased.
Located in the south of Munich, this pub attracts the masses eager for a classic Bavarian breakfast: the weisswurstfrustuk (literal translation: "white sausage breakfast").
This meal consists of the eponymous white sausage, as well as soft pretzels and sweet mustard - washed down with wheat beer.
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In Lyon, France, people throw themselves at wine and offal at nine in the morning.
In Van, Turkey, it is customary to sit down for breakfast served on nine plates.
And in Trang, Thailand, it is not unusual to gather in dim sum salami before sunrise.
Here in Bavaria, a country known for traditional costumes and indulging in terevenkas at Oktoberfest, this culinary custom reflects the local penchant for enjoying life.
"Weisswürtfrustuk is more than just a meal; it's an excuse for an informal get-together when it's too late for coffee but too early for lunch," says Frauke Rotschuh of of the Munich Tourist Association, adding that people usually end up there to enjoy the atmosphere and, of course, the beer.
Although this breakfast is available all over Munich, Gaststätte Grosmarkthale is consistently at the top of all local lists.
The inn is run by a brother-sister tandem, Ludvig Volner and Gabi Walter, who took over the business from their father in 1999.
"Not much has changed in the 55 years since my family has run it," Wallner tells me.
The decoration is simple and functional, wrought iron chandeliers hang from the vaulted ceiling, while beer coasters replace tablecloths.
My laptop looked out of place.
Volner is the only innkeeper in town who still works as a butcher.
Rising early every morning, he makes sausages by hand, using a secret family recipe and skills he mastered as a child.
He sources his ingredients from the nearby butcher's district and a large wholesale market (Grossmarkthale) in the neighborhood.
During the week, the pub hosts hungry vendors and customers from the market.
On weekends, large tables are occupied by families and friends, or shared by small groups of strangers who greet each other cheerfully: "Servus!".
This is a place where guests of all ages are welcome.
You will see parents peeling the salt off pretzels to give to their children and old customers being brought new beer without asking.
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"Some of the busiest days are during the Oktoberfest or carnival season," Wollner explains, "or during days when one of Munich's soccer clubs is playing."
The exact origin of weisswurst - a cooked sausage made of veal, bacon, onions, parsley and spices - is not the most clear.
The most popular story, however, is that it was invented entirely by accident.
In 1857, a young Munich innkeeper, Sepp Moser, ran out of sheep intestines to wrap his sausages, so he used pork intestines instead.
Worried that they might crack during frying, Moser decided to boil them in water - a gamble that paid off.
Today, they are one of the most famous Bavarian dishes and one of the first things the locals will recommend you try.
Breakfast is eaten throughout this southern state, especially in Oberbayern (Upper Bavaria).
"It's a dish I associate with my family in the countryside," says Teresa Portenlanger, who runs a trendy Munich pub Xavier with siblings.
"We always eat strawberry weisswurst together on Christmas Eve."
When I asked her about the idea of drinking beer in the morning, she replied: "I don't think people here see it as alcohol - it's more like a basic food, like bread!"
The dish is more difficult to find once you cross the so-called weijwurstequator - the "white sausage equator".
Although not unanimously defined, with the Danube and the Main proposed as possible markers, this division reflects not only culinary differences in this part of the country, but also cultural ones.
You won't see many people wearing lederhosen in northern Germany, for example.
Traditionally, sausages should be eaten before the church bells ring at noon, evoking a time before refrigerators and different preparation techniques.
Although it is no longer necessary, many places and bars still adhere to it.
Others, including Volner and Portenlanger, now serve them past that limit, but it seems odd to order them late in the afternoon.
Served in a bowl of hot water, weisswurst can be eaten in a number of ways, but you have to remove the skin.
The technique I was taught was to cut the whole length of the sausage and then peel it.
Versioned Munichs practically suck the interior - something known here as "cuceln".
Wherever you go, it's best to observe and learn.
"Most people are very loyal to their neighborhood inn," Rotschuh says.
"When visitors come to me who are not from here, I often take them to Turmstuberl u Karl Valentin Museum and I mix strawberry weisswurst with sightseeing."
Other central places are Ajinger am Plac i Brought, near Marienplatz, or Schneider Brauhus, which has a generous collection of wheat beers.
Famous Hofbrauhaus is also an option, but be warned: it's known as a place where newcomers eat skin or, worse, order ketchup.
And while Munich has a reputation in Germany as a place that clings to old customs, a younger, forward-looking population has begun to change that.
Today, in the area around Gaststadt Grosmarkthal, you'll find everything from tacos to vegan pizza.
Just a few streets away, a recently opened coffee shop Om Name Name in the former butcher's shop, they serve plates with dairy-free cheese.
And while there's no denying that weisswurthfrüstuk would send chills down the spines of nutritionists or plant-based advocates, even this ancient Bavarian tradition is changing.
In 2022, Munich Greenforce - one of the increasingly successful start-ups in Germany - presented vegan white sausages for the first time at Oktoberfest.
"Just five years ago this would have seemed impossible," says CEO and founder Thomas Isserman, "but the positive reception of our products shows how conscientious nutrition can be applied to events like Oktoberfest, however traditional they may be."
The company will be the main supplier of vegan food for the 2023 Oktoberfest and supplies several restaurants in the city, such as Herschaftskeiten in the center and Max Emanuel Brauerei in the Maxforstadt student district.
Made in Germany with pea protein, these sausages have 76 percent less fat and 62 percent fewer calories.
Both places recommended three sausages as a standard serving.
"For me, the meatless option doesn't change the meaning or social significance of this breakfast. If nothing else, it allows more people to participate in it," says Iserman.
I decided to check what Volner thought about them.
After speaking calmly throughout our conversation, he quickly became excited.
"Well, now you've found me!" he grinned, banging his fist on the table.
Trying his best to offer a balanced answer, he said he knows it's a change he can't ignore, but for him, the words "vegan" and "sausage" can't be in the same sentence.
Would you try it?
"Yes, of course - you have to know the competition."
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