Why aren't brats more popular in the South?

I’m with you! They are great! In Cajun country, Lafayette, Jennings, breaux bridge, Crowley, etc. I’ve seen some shop-made brats in some meat markets there.

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i know we have a ton of sausage options down here

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You answered your own question.

I like brats, but I maybe had them 1 time at a friend's house (his family wasn't from Louisiana) when I was a kid. Cajun meats and sausages were just much more popular, and still are.

As for the rest of the south, it's probably similar.

I dunno, I love em, Publix brats in the meat section are pretty darned good for what I can get around me.

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we have a ton of sausage options down here

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This and brats were never part of our heritage here. As mentioned, there are a ton of germans in Acadiana but Louisianans didn't grow up eating them so it's slow to make its way here now.

Texas has a large German heritage, especially with their sausage. But as far as I know, brats have never been part of their history either.

I researched this a while back when looking up sausage recipes. Here's a quick AI piece that explains it all.

German immigrants had a major influence on sausage-making in Louisiana, especially with andouille and general smoked sausage traditions.
Here’s the real history:

German settlers arrived in Louisiana as early as the 1720s (long before many people think). They settled along the Mississippi River in what became known as the German Coast (areas like St. John the Baptist, St. Charles, and St. James Parishes).
These Germans were skilled at making and smoking sausages.
Over time, they intermarried with Acadians (Cajuns) and Creoles, and their sausage-making knowledge blended into local food culture.
The town of LaPlace (in St. John the Parish) became known as the “Andouille Capital of the World” largely because of the German butchers who lived there and perfected the smoked andouille style that Cajuns are famous for today.

Here's the real reason why bratwurst (brats) never became popular in Louisiana, even though Germans influenced some of the state's sausages:

Different Waves of German Immigration. The Germans who had the biggest impact on Louisiana food came very early — mainly in the 1720s (the "German Coast" along the Mississippi River).
These early German settlers mostly came from the Rhineland/Palatinate region. Their sausage traditions were more about smoked sausages and preserving meat.

Bratwurst, on the other hand, is more strongly associated with other parts of Germany (like Bavaria). The big wave of Germans who popularized bratwurst in America came much later (1800s–early 1900s) and mostly settled in the Midwest (Wisconsin, Illinois, etc.), not Louisiana.

Climate Played a Big Role
Louisiana is hot and humid. Traditional bratwurst is a fresh sausage (not heavily smoked or cured). In Louisiana’s climate, fresh sausages spoil quickly without modern refrigeration. Because of this, Louisianans focused more on smoked and heavily seasoned sausages that could last longer in the heat, such as: Andouille, Boudin, Tasso and Smoked sausage.

well that explained it very well, and makes sense. thanks.

but it's 2026 now and i want some damn fresh brats to buy in LA.

Hell i enjoy the johnsonville ones on a bun with sauerkraut and mustard, but I'd much prefer a good brat that's freshly made, not the commercial brand one.

I with you on having them available. I spent 4 years in VA and they were almost always at a cook out.
Now you have me craving beer, onions and brats topped with sauerkraut and hot mustard.

While we're on hot mustard. Where does everyone get it from here? I usually order it because what's hot mustard here isn't really hot. I had a friend in NY that would send me 1000 Islands Hot as Hell mustard but he moved so I've been buying Moutarde de Meaux - Fireman's Mustard - Moutarde des Pompiers Pommery from Amazon but it's $27 a jar and always seems old.
LINK Islands Hot as Hell

I have read that. There were also a lot of Germans on the Mississippi River north of New Orleans along the "German Coast." They were farmers, butchers, blacksmiths, etc. who were recruited in the 1700's to feed New Orleans.

Believe it or not there were a lot of Germans who settled in South Carolina. That is why they have so many Lutherans and mustard based barbecue sauce.

Perry County, Missouri, just north of where I live was ground zero of the Great Saxon Lutheran Migration. It is an interesting story but too long to go into here. Google it if you are interested.

Germans are bad about losing their cultural identity. They are nothing like the Italians, Poles, etc. There are a ton of Germans in St. Louis but you would never know it. About the only place they have kept their identity is Chicago with their annual Steuben Day parade.

I have done beer brats 3-4 times since the spring. Underrated for sure.

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While we're on hot mustard. Where does everyone get it from here?

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World Market by Siegen Wal-Mart carries a couple variations with different spice levels.