Knackwurst (from German, literally "crack sausage") is a type of small soft German sausage intened to be eaten by hand. It is a short, chubby sausage made from pork or beef with fresh garlic. The origin of the knackwurst sausage is well documented. The original sausage was made from all-beef components. Since then the sausage has taken on many incarnations, and now it is traditionally composed of pork and beef parts. This particular sausage was considered a delicacy by the Habsburg royalty, and as such the purity of the meat was often relished - hence the traditionally served all-beef knackwurst sausage. It is often very seasoned. Its taste is often compared to that of a bockwurst, the sausage of the frankfurter.