Liverwurst substitutes

In American delis this is liverwurst, usually the smoked version, so if you found Braunschweiger you have effectively found what you were looking for. It is a shade smokier and often a little softer and saltier than a German Leberwurst, which is only noticeable eaten plain.

Best for

sandwiches, spreading on rye, Brotzeit platters, canapes

Prep

Serve cold. Let it sit out 15 minutes if you want it spreadable.

Labels are unreliable here. Liverwurst, liver sausage, Leberwurst and Braunschweiger frequently describe the same thing.

The best swap when liverwurst is unavailable. Same liver depth and soft fat, but pate is usually made with butter and often brandy, so it tastes richer, smoother and less salty and peppery. Add a pinch of salt and a good grind of white pepper if it is going into a savoury sandwich rather than onto a cheese board.

Best for

spreading, open sandwiches, canapes, cracker toppings

Prep

Chill hard before slicing; spread at room temperature.

Coarse country pate slices better; smooth liver mousse spreads better. Pick by how you plan to serve it.

Both are much more strongly liver-flavoured than liverwurst, which is diluted with a lot of plain pork fat. Expect a looser, wetter spread and a noticeably more mineral, metallic flavour, so use about two thirds as thick a layer as you would of liverwurst.

Best for

spreading, open sandwiches, when you want more liver flavour, not less

Prep

Spread thinly on buttered dark bread. Raw onion helps balance the intensity.

Homemade chopped liver with plenty of onion and schmaltz is arguably a better sandwich than liverwurst.

A fine-ground emulsified sausage, so the texture and the fat are right and it slices cleanly, but there is no liver in it at all. The result is mild, faintly sweet and much less savoury, and the sandwich loses its backbone. Close the gap with a proper smear of mustard, a few capers or a thick slice of raw onion.

Best for

sliced sandwiches, platters, children who dislike liver, fillings

Prep

Slice thin and layer, or dice into a filling.

Mortadella with pistachio is a better platter substitute than plain bologna and costs little more.

Chunkier and more rustic than liverwurst, with visible meat and fat, more black pepper and often thyme or juniper. It slices rather than spreads, so it works on a platter or in a sandwich but not where a recipe wants a smooth layer.

Best for

Brotzeit platters, sliced sandwiches, picnics

Prep

Slice cold, about 5 mm thick.

Usually contains some liver, which is why it carries more of the right flavour than bologna does.

The vegetarian route. Toasted walnuts and slowly browned mushrooms give real earthy savouriness and a spreadable body, and a spoon of miso or soy deepens it further. What is genuinely absent is the metallic liver note and the animal fat that makes liverwurst coat the mouth, so it reads as a good vegetable pate rather than a liverwurst copy.

Best for

vegetarian sandwiches, spreading, canapes

Prep

Blend until smooth, chill 2 hours to firm up, then spread thickly.

Add 1 tsp of onion cooked to golden per cup; sweet cooked onion is a big part of what makes liverwurst taste the way it does.