Germans settled the state of Wisconsin in the last century and their legacy is still alive and well there in many forms. Wisconsinites make and drink a lot of beer and they make and eat a lot of cheese. (Hence, the popular nickname cheesehead.) They also have the annoying custom, lifted right out of German syntax, of ending sentences with prepositions, as in: "Why don't you come with." But never mind that.

Among the second-string legacies is the bratwurst, known popularly as "brat." Made primarily of pork meat, a blend of spices that no self-respecting butcher will reveal and stuffed into small intestines, brats, which rhymes with lots, are part of Wisconsin cuisine all year long. But because a brat must be grilled, its true season is summer. In Sheboygan, Wisconsin, the self-proclaimed Bratwurst Capital of the World, a brat fry (Sheboyganites say "fry" instead of grill) is part of every summer celebration, from marriage receptions to Little League pot lucks. The experts disagree over the best way to prepare the brat, and the disagreement usually centers on -- what else? -- where the beer comes in.

A few people insist that brats have to be soaked for a few hours in beer before they are grilled. The Sheboygan Chamber of Commerce, for one, so adamantly opposes this method, that they have even written a press release about it. "You will notice no mention has been made here of par boiling, soaking in beer, or boiling in beer," it reads. "That is because there is no par boiling, soaking in beer, or boiling in beer. There is only frying. From the butcher shop to the grill. One step."

The beer, as it turns out, comes in later. After grilling for about 20 - 25 minutes, with frequent turning, the brats may be removed to a simmering mixture of beer, butter and onions. Or the brats -- it is customary to eat two at once -- may be loaded directly onto a hard roll, known locally as a "semmel" roll, and in other parts of the country as a kaiser roll. Another hard rule concerns what goes on top: a big yes to grainy mustard, sliced dill pickles and raw onions; a big no to lettuce, mayonnaise or tomatoes.

Of course, traditions are made to be flaunted, and even the Wisconsin manufacturers have experimented with the state meat. There are now cajun brats, turkey brats, veal brats and chicken brats. And out of all this has also emerged an inedible brat. In recent years, during televised Green Bay Packers games, the cameras have inevitably zoomed in on the few wild and crazy guys wearing hats with massive plastic wedges shaped like cheddar cheese. Cheeseheads, right? Well, now look for the brat hat, a sombrero that needs no description.

Johnsonville Mail Order (800-733-4438) ships 24 brats in a cooler for between $55-60, depending on weight. On the Internet, the Brat City Company will soon be offering information on bratwurst.