Traditional North German Food: Rich Sweet Dishes

Traditional North German Food

Introduction
Lobscouse - Labskaus | Green Eel Soup 

Pears, French Beans and Bacon | Rich Sweet Dishes

Published: 24th April 2009

The traditional cuisine of northern Germany is renowned for its richness, and the sweet dishes are no exception. Although you'll find some light desserts such as the famous red fruit jelly¹, or just some fresh strawberries with milk or cream to be enjoyed on a hot summer day, there are those sweet dishes which are rich enough to be had as the main dish. The following recipes reflect the north German preference of combining sweet with salty.

Traditional North German Food: Pears, French Beans and Bacon

Traditional North German Food

Introduction
Lobscouse - Labskaus | Green Eel Soup 

Pears, French Beans and Bacon | Rich Sweet Dishes

Published: 24th April 2009

If ever you should get to spend some time in Germany's north, you're likely to find some weird and wonderful dishes on the menu. Those living near the shores of the North Sea or the Baltic Sea seem to have a liking for odd combinations of sweet and salty food, as you'll see when you try the following recipe.

Traditional North German Food: Green Eel Soup

Traditional North German Food

Introduction
Lobscouse - Labskaus | Green Eel Soup 

Pears, French Beans and Bacon | Rich Sweet Dishes

Published: 24th April 2009

Much of Germany's northern coast borders on either the North Sea or the Baltic, with the northernmost state of Schleswig-Holstein lying directly between the two. It therefore doesn't come as a surprise that seafood features quite high on the list of popular dishes. The importance of agriculture and fishing (traditionally the main sources of income in the north) is even reflected in heraldry: for instance, the coat of arms of the Kreis Nordfriesland (a 'Kreis' being an administrative district) features three ships; one bearing a plough, one bearing a fish (the Sylter herring, to be precise), and one bearing an ox.

Traditional North German Food: Lobscouse - Labskaus

Traditional North German Food

Introduction
Lobscouse - Labskaus | Green Eel Soup 

Pears, French Beans and Bacon | Rich Sweet Dishes

Published: 24th April 2009

Lobscouse, or labskaus as it is known in Germany, is a stew mainly eaten in the coastal regions of Germany, Denmark and Sweden. Originally made of salted meat, potatoes, bacon and onions, there are now many variations of this simple meal, with added fish, beetroot and pickled cucumbers, and the whole thing being topped with a fried egg or two.

Traditional North German Food

Traditional North German Food

Introduction
Lobscouse - Labskaus | Green Eel Soup 

Pears, French Beans and Bacon | Rich Sweet Dishes

Published: 24th April 2009

It's always interesting to think about the various foods countries are associated with. For England, it's probably fish and chips. Almost everything else save the curries gets drowned in ketchup or HP Sauce, but then the English do have tea and toast, ham, eggs and baked beans, all of which are well-known abroad. Italy has its pizza and pasta, there's doner kebab for Turkey and haggis for Scotland. Sometimes, a country's preference for a certain food has even resulted in its inhabitants being named after it, and not in a positive sense. When not being descibed as 'cheese-eating surrender monkeys', the French are associated with frog's legs, and the 'krauts', are - you guessed it - Germans.

Traditional Pumpernickel

Published: 18th August 2008

Ingredients for Pumpernickel; Photo by Bel

I've only had pumpernickel once - at the time I described it as corkboard soaked in treacle¹. But that was half a lifetime ago. I might like it now².
- an h2g2 Researcher

Pharisee - a Coffee with Spirit

Published: 21st February 2008

High up in the north of Germany, on the west coast of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany's most northern federal state, there is a small island called Nordstrand¹. It's what was left of the large island Strand after De grote Manndränke², a huge storm surge in 1362, when great parts of the island were lost and 50,000 people died, and the next huge storm tide on 12 October, 1634, where another 6,123 people died and the whole Strand was destroyed.

Frankfurt am Main, Germany - Where Past Meets Present

Published: 01st February 2008

Roemer, Frankfurt, with Christmas Tree; Photo by Bel

Nowadays, most people associate Frankfurt with its airport, the book fair, the IAA (international car exhibition), and maybe the stock exchange. Probably few people will know that Frankfurt is a very old city, with the first settlement on the north bank of the river Main dating back a good 7,000 years. The imperial estate of Franconovurd, which was founded in about 500 AD, is first mentioned in a document from 794 AD.

Parasols - A Brief History

Published: 12th December 2007
When hearing the word parasol today, most people will probably think of those large parasols you find on beaches, balconies, in gardens, beer gardens and other sunny places that are frequented by people. Few people will know that these modern items are quite similar to those our ancestors had thousands of years ago.

The Legend of the Lorelei

Published: 31st July 2007

Artwork by Malabarista

Ich weiß nicht was soll es bedeuten
Daß ich so traurig bin;
Ein Märchen aus alten Zeiten,
Das kommt mir nicht aus dem Sinn.
- Heinrich Heine, 1823.

I cannot divine what it meaneth,
This haunting nameless pain:
A tale of the bygone ages
Keeps brooding through my brain.
- translation: Mark Twain, 1880.

Leopold Ritter von Sacher-Masoch - Eponym of Masochism

Published: 13th July 2007

The term 'masochism', named after Leopold Ritter von Sacher-Masoch, will be known by many, as will be the term 'sadism', named after the Marquis de Sade. Both terms are commonly so closely linked (known as sado-masochism; a more recent term is BDSM) that people sometimes confuse the persons behind these terms and have poor Sacher-Masoch die in Charenton Lunatic Asylum, France - a place where de Sade allegedly spent the last years of his life nearly a century before. Most people will probably at least have a vague idea what masochism is. However, not quite as many people know who coined the term and/or have heard of the man who involuntarily served as the inspiration.

Smiling

 Published: 11th June 2007

This is not on the original entry, but I can't use the photo the BBC applied, and I think this is just as nice.

Smiles brighten up our days, and their forms are manifold. They are important in the arts, literature, and music. A very well-known example in literature certainly is the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. Probably the most discussed smile in art is that of the Mona Lisa: is the smile as enigmatic as many claim or did she suffer from bruxism¹, as the Italian doctor, Dr Filippo Surano suggested in 1999?

Batteries - Energy on the Move

Published: 09th May 2007

Batteries: who doesn't know them, or use them in one way or another? Nowadays, they come in all shapes and sizes, and the electricity they can deliver varies greatly. They power watches, cameras, mobile phones, remote controls, laptops, wireless keyboards and wireless mice, radios, electric toothbrushes, children's toys, torches... and not to forget: cars and car keys. They're so much part of our everyday life that we hardly ever think about them, except when the batteries are flat or we have run out of them altogether and can't take the photo, or listen to Queen on our Discman or, worst case scenario: open the car doors, let alone start the car. But what is a battery, who invented it and when?

The Karmann Ghia

Published: 20th February 2007

A Karmann Ghia, Photo by MazinMadFiddler

No, it's not a Hindu actor, or the leader of some obscure religion - it's a car, a German car. Its name comes from 'Karmann', the owner of the factory that built it, and 'Ghia', the Torinese styling studio whose owner Luigi Segre designed the prototype, and apparently, its correct name is the VW¹ Karmann Ghia, working title: T143. But what is so special about this car, you may ask, especially if you've never before heard of a VW Karmann Ghia? Read on to find out.

The Great Peal of Bells in Frankfurt am Main

Published: 07th February 2007

Frankfurt's Große Stadtgeläut (the town's great peal of bells) is said to be unique in the world. This event takes place on four afternoons every year, namely on the Saturday before the First Advent; on Christmas Eve; on the Saturday before Easter Sunday; and on the Saturday before Pentecost¹. The 50 bells of the ten churches in the city centre are rung at the same time for about 30 minutes in harmony. Especially during Advent, many people go to the city centre to listen to the sound of all the bells. Depending on where you are, this can be almost deafening, but it is an experience you should try to make if you happen to be in Frankfurt on the right day!

Harvest Festival or Thanksgiving

Published: 10th January 2007

Today, Harvest Festival or Thanksgiving is celebrated every year, but just as is the case with Christmas and Easter, few people in the Western Hemisphere are aware of the true meaning of this custom. In a time when many people just go to the supermarket and buy whatever takes their fancy, it is not surprising that people don't seem to be aware of how much time and effort it takes to grow plants from seed to the fruits, vegetables and cereals they buy, because nowadays all of these are available all year round.

Eating a Goose on St Martin's Day

Published: 12th January 2007

In Germany, it is a very old tradition to eat a goose on St Martin's Day, 11 November. As is often the case with traditions, somebody at some point apparently needed an explanation for this custom, which would explain the legends that were created, linking geese and the reason why they should be eaten to this man:

La Bocca Della Verita - The Mouth of Truth

Published: 12th January 2007

The Bocca della Verità (Mouth of Truth) is a large marble carving. Its origin is unknown, as is the reason why and when exactly it started being considered what we would call a 'lie detector' today. Persons who put their hand into the open mouth of the 'Bocca della Verità' and swearing a false oath were said to lose their hand because the mouth would snap shut and bite it off.

The Explora Museum, Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Published: 21st December 2006

Explora Museum, Frankfurt; Photo by Bel

Although known to most people for its airport, banks and the stock exchange, Frankfurt has much more to offer than just commerce. Visitors interested in museums will be spoilt for choice; nearly every district of the city has one, and there is a whole 'Museum Embankment' on the southern bank of the river Main.
For a museum appealing to your visual and acoustical senses, you have to go to Frankfurt's Nordend, where the Explora, a museum for science and engineering, is housed in the Glauburg Bunker at Glauburg Platz.

The Brezel Bub - Selling Pretzels in Frankfurt am Main

Published: 15th December 2006

The soft pretzel, soaked in a solution of dissolved baking soda and sprinkled with coarse salt grains, is considered a staple food by many families in the south of Germany. Children as young as toddlers can be seen sucking on or chewing a soft pretzel, and it's not surprising that pretzel vendors are to be found throughout the region.

The Pressure Cooker

Pressure Cooker, Photo by Bel

Published: 30th November 2006 

There's hardly another kitchen item which splits the 'chefs' into two factions in the way that the pressure cooker does. There are those who love it because of all its advantages. And those who loathe it because they've heard from a friend that the pressure cooker of her friend's aunt's cousin's daughter... exploded. There seems to be nothing in between. So here is a brief introduction to the tool in question.

The Straussenwirtschaft - Popular Seasonal Tavern

Published: 24th October, 2006

A Straußenwirtschaft¹ is a place where a vintner sells and serves his own produce during a limited period of the year. Straußenwirtschafts are very popular and can be found in practically every wine-growing region in south-west Germany and Austria.

Federweisser - a German Must

Federweißer and Onion Pie, Photo by Bel

Published: 6th October 2006  


Federweißer is the German name for a sparkling must¹ from the first harvested white grapes - often those grapes that lack the quality to making a good wine. It is also known as Sauser or, in Austria, Sturm (tempest²), and is usually available from the beginning of September until the end of October, depending on in which region the grapes are grown.

The Multimar Wattforum, a National Park Centre

The Multimar Wadden Forum, Photo by Bel

Published: 23rd August, 2006

The Multimar Wattforum is the visitor centre for the Nationalpark Schleswig-Holsteinisches Wattenmeer (Wadden Sea National Park Schleswig-Holstein¹).

Frankfurter 'Green Sauce' (Grüne Soße)

Ingredients for Frankfurter Green Sauce. Photo by Bel

Published: 19th May 2006

Frankfurter Grüne Sauce, locally known as Grie Soß¹, is a dish of seven or more herbs that is traditionally eaten on Gründonnerstag ( Maundy Thursday) in Frankfurt. Rumour says it was Frankfurt's most famous son Goethe's favourite dish and that he asked his mother, Katharina Elisabeth Textor-Goethe, known locally as Aja Textor², to serve it on the Thursday before Easter.

The Ebbelwei-Express - An Unusual Tram in Frankfurt am Main

Published: 27th March 2006

Photo taken by MazinMadFiddler

Ebbelwei or Ebbelwoi¹ are the Frankfurt dialect names for Apfelwein, which translates as 'apple wine'².

The Ebbelwei-Express is a special tram which runs through Frankfurt am Main, Germany. It's a traditional tram which carries tourists and locals through the city letting them sightsee and drink Ebbelwei, Apfelsaft (apple juice) or mineral water, eating pretzels and listening to folk and schunkel³ music.