A culinary tour of Germany
What do Germany’s cities taste like? Spoiler alert: not everything is as it seems, and there’s even a cheese sandwich camouflaged as a poultry dish.
Kim Berg Berlin: Currywurst – simple and straightforward
People in Berlin don’t tend to beat around the bush. This may well be one of the reasons the Currywurst is such a good match for Germany’s capital city: sausage, sauce, curry powder, done. It is served at snack bars, usually with a side of chips or bread.
Currywurst can, nevertheless, be quite controversial: with or without skin? Mild or spicy? Which snack stand has the best sauce in town?
The flavour of Berlin: spicy, hot and topped with tomato sauce.
Hamburg: Fish sandwiches and Franzbrötchen – solid and down-to-earth
Hamburg might taste of cinnamon in the morning and of the North Sea at noon. A Franzbrötchen is a sweet treat made of puff pastry flavoured with cinnamon and sugar. It is the perfect snack to take on a walk along the Alster. Looking like a squashed croissant, the Franzbrötchen is truly unmistakable.
No visit to the harbour could be complete without a fish sandwich filled, for example, with matie, pickled herring or shrimps. Add some sea gulls, ships and Hamburg’s characteristic drizzle to the mix, and you are good to go.
The flavour of Hamburg: salty, savoury, and occasionally sweet with plenty of butter.
Cologne: Kölsch and Halver Hahn – jovial with a good sense of humour
Cologne is famous for its lively atmosphere, Karneval and great hospitality. The regional beer called Kölsch is served in a tall glass known as a “Stange” (pole). Watch out: the service staff will usually bring you a new drink even if you haven’t asked for one. Visitors should know that they simply need to place their beermat on top of their glass if they have had enough.
A so-called Halver Hahn (half rooster) is just the right snack to enjoy with your beer! But don’t be fooled: contrary to what the name suggests, it’s a rye bread roll with cheese, onions and mustard. There are a number of different stories about the origins of the name. A dish with a misleading name is, however, a perfect match for a city that is famous for its residents’ sense of humour.
The flavour of Cologne: malty and sweet, sparkling, and sometimes rather unexpected.
Frankfurt am Main: Green Sauce – busy and surprisingly herby
It’s thanks to Frankfurt’s skyline that the city is also known as Mainhattan. Between banks, trade fair grounds and the international airport, visitors will, however, find a dish that will make them think of a garden rather than a metropolis: Frankfurt’s Green Sauce.
It is traditionally made with seven different herbs: borage, chervil, chives, cress, parsley, pimpinella and sorrel. The sauce is served cold with potatoes and eggs, and sometimes with a Schnitzel. The locals like to enjoy Green Sauce with a glass of apple wine, or “Ebbelwoi” to use the Hessian name. Please note, though, that this drink is not the same as cider. If you expect a sweet drink, you will be disappointed.
The flavour of Frankfurt: fresh, tart, and a lot greener than the skyline suggests.
Munich: Weisswurst – traditional and laid-back
Tradition plays a big role in Munich, and that’s why Weisswurst is so characteristic of this city. The Weisswurst (“white sausage”) is more than your typical sausage. It is to Bavaria what the Eiffel Tower is to Paris. It is often eaten before noon, and there is an old proverb that says that the Weisswurst should never hear the church bells ring at noon. Weisswurst is typically served with sweet mustard, a pretzel and a glass of wheat beer.
You don’t use a knife and fork to eat this type of sausage. The traditional way to extract the sausage meat from the skin is called “zuzeln”. However, using cutlery may be a slightly more elegant solution, if you are a beginner.
The flavour of Munich: mild, creamy and with a hint of sweetness.
Leipzig: Leipziger Lerche – creative and sophisticated
Don’t worry, no birds a harmed in the making of this pastry, even though “Lerche” is the German word for lark. A Leipziger Lerche is a small shortcrust pastry filled with marzipan, almonds and jam. The name is, however, reminiscent of a time when larks where considered a delicacy.
After hunting the birds had been banned in the 19th century, a sweet alternative was created in Leipzig’s bakeries. This story is quite characteristic of Leipzig as a city where tradition is valued just as much as inventiveness.
The flavour of Leipzig: nutty and sweeter than you might initially expect.
