German Culture

Franzbrötchen – Sweet Cinnamon Pastry from Hamburg

October 19, 2018 By germanculture

Franzbrötchen. Photo by T-Katharina Ko.

Franzbrötchen is a small, sweet pastry, baked with butter and cinnamon. Sometimes other ingredients are used as well, such as chocolate or raisins. It is a type of pastry commonly found in northern Germany, especially Hamburg, and it is usually served for breakfast, but is also enjoyed along with coffee and cake.

As its name indicates, the Franzbrötchen was probably inspired by French pastries. Originally, it could be found only in the region of Hamburg, but now Franzbrötchen are also sold in Bremen, Berlin and other German cities.

Ingredients:

Dough

500g flour
40 g yeast
70 g sugar
250 ml lukewarm milk
70 g butter
1 pinch salt

Filling

100 g cold butter
100 g sugar
1.5 teaspoon cinnamon

Preparation:

Mix all the ingredients for the dough together – flour, yeast, sugar, lukewarm milk, butter and some salt. Mix it until it becomes a nice dough.
Now roll the dough on a floured working surface in the shape of a rectangle, it should be about the size of a baking sheet.
Cut the cold butter into multiple thin slices and place all of them on one-half of the rolled-out dough, and flip the other side over.
Roll the dough again, to an approx. size of 50 x 30 cm. Take one-third of the dough from the narrow side towards the middle, beat the remaining third, so that three layers lie on top of each other. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes.
Now roll the dough to an approximate size of 80 x 40 cm and coat it gently with water.
Mix cinnamon and sugar and spread the mix evenly over the dough.
Roll the dough up from the long side and press down slightly. Cut the roll about every 4 cm and press it down in the middle with a spoon, so it looks about like a butterfly.
Place them on a baking sheet with sufficient distance and let them rest for 15 minutes. In the meantime, you can preheat the oven to 200°C, and bake the Franzbrötchen for about 25 minutes until golden.

How to Drive in Germany

October 17, 2018 By germanculture

It’s true: there are no speed limits on many sections of German autobahns. But there are plenty of other regulations you should be aware of.

While most traffic rules are the same in Germany as they are in other countries, traffic signs and street markings can be very different as well as confusing. The following is some basic traffic information for driving a vehicle in Germany.

At all times: Always have in your car your driver’s license and International Driver’s Permit, car registration, insurance information, blue parking disk and emergency kit.

Speed limits: The standard speed limits are 50 km/h within the city limits and 100 km/h on rural roads, unless otherwise posted. The city limits are marked with a yellow sign which has the city name on it at the beginning of the city limits, and the same yellow sign with a red slash through it at the end of the city limits. When driving in the city, if you see a blue sign with white car, children and bike symbols on it, then you must drive at a walking speed.

Speed control: Beware the cameras that will gladly take your picture if you are speeding – these cameras are in many areas along the Autobahn as well as in the cities.

Lane markings: Lanes going the same direction are separated by dashed white lines. A Solid white line separates the different directions. Yellow lines are to notate a change in the traffic flow in a construction area – not to separate the different sides of the road.

Driving lanes: Stay in right lane whenever possible. After passing, go back to the right lane. The left lane should only be used for passing, especially on the Autobahn. If, while in the left lane, you see someone coming up behind you – get out of the way.

Passing: When passing, pass only on the left, and at a faster speed than the car you are passing. Don’t pass at the same speed – speed up, pass, and then return to the speed you were going. A double white line in the middle means no passing. A solid white line beside a dashed line means passing on the dashed side only.

Traffic lights: The colors on the signals represent the same things in Germany as they do just about everywhere else:

Green: Proceed with caution
Yellow: Prepare to stop
Red: Stop

You are not allowed to turn right on a red light. The only exception to this is when there is a specific signal with a green right arrow.

If you see a blinking yellow light at an intersection it means stop, then proceed if the intersection is clear. If you run a red light you’ll more than likely be caught. Many German intersections have radar-controlled cameras that are hooked up to traffic lights.

Traffic signs: These are usually posted on the right, so keep an eye out. The ADAC (the German national motor club) has made a very comprehensive list of traffic signs.

Right of way: When no traffic signal is at an intersection, follow these right of way rules:

If you have a sign with a yellow diamond at an intersection, you have the right of way. If you have a sign which is a white triangle with a red border (yield sign), you must wait for the oncoming traffic to clear.

If there is no sign, then a vehicle entering from the right has the right of way.

There are no 3-way or 4-way stop signs. Likewise, there are also no flashing red lights. If you approach a flashing yellow light, proceed with caution – this does not automatically give you the right of way.

Merging: When merging, observe the “zipper rule” (Reißverschluß), which states that both lanes feed into the continuing lane, alternating cars from each lane. No one lane has priority over the other.

Pedestrian Crossings: Pedestrians crossing the street have the right of way, and you must stop for them. Also, when coming to a stop at an intersection, make sure you do not block the pedestrian crossing.

Traffic Jams: If you find yourself driving into a traffic jam, remember to turn on your hazard lights to warn the drivers behind you. (You can turn them off again once you have a few cars behind you.)

Stalled car: If something happens to your car that is not a serious accident, move it over as far as you can to the right, put your hazard and parking lights on, put your safety vest on and set the warning triangle 100 m (200 m on the highway) away from the car to warn oncoming traffic. Telephones are placed along the Autobahn in case assistance is needed.

Seatbelts: mandatory. Back seat as well.

Gas stations: Not all are open 24 hours, but they do all offer different types of fuel. Make sure you know whether your car uses diesel or benzin (unleaded gasoline).

Cell phone use: It is illegal to use a cell phone while driving.

Alcohol limit: 0.05%.

Baby seats: The baby seat requirements in Germany are different than those in other countries, so it might be easier to rent a baby seat upon arrival instead of bringing one along.

Roadside Assistance Numbers:

Road Assistance ADAC +49 (0)1802 22 22 22
Road Assistance ACE +49 (0)711 530 34 35 36
Road Assistance AVD +49 (0)800 9909909

Almabtrieb and Viehscheid – Bringing Cattle Home from Mountain Pastures

October 13, 2018 By germanculture

Bavaria may be the home of BMW and Audi, but there are still some age-old rural traditions that surprise even visitors from other parts of Germany. One of which is the annual festival which celebrates the return of the prodigal cows, the Viehscheid. Because here the cows really do come home, every autumn, after having spent their summers up in the mountains.

In September and October the cows and bulls are brought down from the lush mountain pastures to the valley and their winter quarters. An event with a long tradition, which is enjoyed by locals and visitors alike. The Viehscheid (and its close partner the Almabtrieb) are part of the same thing, and both are particularly celebrated in the alpine region of the Allgäu. At the beginning of the summer, when the vegetation has really started to grow up in the mountains, cattle are herded up into high alpine pastures, where the herbal grasses are particularly good for their physical condition. Here they’ll be looked after by a cowherd or team of cowherds and their dogs, who’ll continue to do all the daily milking, fence mending etc necessary, and sometimes also offer milk, cheese and other forms of refreshment to passing walkers. This tradition of almost nomadic pastoralism, still very widespread in eastern Europe, involves around 50,000 cows in Germany.

The sound of bells announces the arrival of the herd. Spectators by the side of the path are in for a colorful treat. It’s that time of year again: as the summer draws to a close, the well-fed cattle with their festive decorations come down from the mountain pastures and back into the valley. The whole village joins in the celebrations.Visitors come from far and wide to experience the spectacle. A brass band plays. The convivial beer tents gradually fill up. Regional costume associations showcase their skills at Schuhplatteln dancing and Alphorn blowing. The aroma of Bavarian specialties wafts through the air. Every year during the Almabtrieb, the ceremonial cattle drive which in the Allgäu is also known as the Viehscheid, young and old get to experience anew a piece of Bavarian tradition.

Come the end of September, when it starts to get colder, the herdsmen bring them down again (the Almabtrieb). To celebrate that there were no cattle injuries or losses during their stay high up in the mountains, the leading cow is adorned with flowers, spruce, and sometimes a cross or mirror to deflect evil spirits. All the cows wear big cowbells, polished especially for this occasion. Upon arrival at the village green, the cows are separated from each other (the Viehscheid), the herdsman calls out the name of the owners and each owner takes care of his cows, presumably grateful that his investment has been returned, safe and sound, and hopefully considerably fatter.

This festive adornment, the crown, goes back to pre-Christian times. The loud bells around the necks of the animals are designed to protect them from hostile demons and bring them safely down into the valley. The traditional craft of the bellsmiths still exists in Bavaria today: Kilian Trenkle, for example, from Pfronten im Allgäu, produces cow bells that the animals wear around their necks during the Viehscheid. There are two kinds of bells: “Glocken”, which are cast, and “Schellen”, which are wrought from plate metal. The resulting combination of fine, high tones and deep, earthy notes lends the day its distinctive sound.

There is always a big party when the cows come home, with a large beer-tent, an orchestra playing, etc. One of the specialities served will be the Hirtenkäse, a distinctive cow’s cheese from the milk of the cows who participated in the Almabtrieb.

Döppekuchen – Rheinland Potato Flan

October 5, 2018 By germanculture

Döppekooche/Döbbekooche is a form of potato cake made of grated potatoes, finely minced onions, eggs and spices and cover in sausage pieces or strips of bacon, which is baked in a cast-iron pot (a döppe) like a cake (kuchen) and served in slices. The resulting potato-onion-egg mix is then baked in the oven for about 2 hours until it forms a crust, considered to be the best part of he dish. Purists insist that the dish should not be stirred during the baking period in order to keep the crust intact, however, it is also acceptable to stir it so as to distribute the crust throughout the dish.

Ingredients:

For the Döppekuchen
1.5 kg floury potatoes, peeled and grated
100 g bacon
2 onions, peeled and finely sliced
2 eggs
1 pinch grated nutmeg
Salt
White Pepper
A knob of butter

For the Apple Sauce
400g apples
Juice of ½ lemon
1½ tbsp sugar
A little butter and salt, to serve

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 170°C.
Grease a baking dish (approx 25cm diameter) with a little of the butter and cover the bottom with bacon slices. Put the grated potatoes in a colander and press out and drain the excess liquid into a bowl. Leave it to drain for about 10 mins.
Mix the potatoes, eggs, onion and nutmeg and season to taste with salt and white pepper. Put the potato mixture into the baking dish and bake for about 1hr 45mins. If the surface starts to go too dark, cover loosely with foil for the remainder of the cooking time.
While the potato cake is cooking, make the apple sauce: Peel and dice the apples. Put in a small pan with the juice of ½ lemon, 2 tbsp water and 1½ tbsp sugar. Heat gently until the apples are really soft, then squash with a spoon. Add a little butter and salt to serve.
Take the cake out of the oven, turn it out of the dish and serve in slices with the apple sauce.

Eel in Dill Sauce

October 4, 2018 By germanculture

Eel in dill sauce is a common dish from the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern region of Germany.

Ingredients:

1 kg fresh eel
1 carrot
1 parsley root
1 onion
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
lemon juice
pepper
sugar
3 tablespoons dill, chopped
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped

Preparation:

Thoroughly wash the eel in warm water. Cut into pieces and rub with salt.
Wash and slice the carrot and parsley root. Peel the onion and quarter them. Bring 4 ¼ cups of water, vinegar, and salt to a boil. Cook for about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and add eel pieces, allowing them to marinate for about 20 minutes.
Melt butter in a bowl. Mix in the flour. Add 2 cups of the eel water, lemon juice, pepper, and sugar to taste.
Add the chopped dill, parsley, and eel pieces. Allow eel to marinate for another 5 minutes. Serve with boiled potatoes.

Lübecker Plettenpudding

October 2, 2018 By germanculture

Photo credit https://goo.gl/8u85Jp

A dessert that really tastes like Sunday. Plettenpudding is a kind of trifle with vanilla pudding and raspberries. This dessert is featured in one of Germany’s most popular novels, the family epic The Buddenbrooks by Thomas Mann. The Lübeck-born author won the Nobel Prize for literature for his first novel which he wrote in his mid-twenties.

Ingredients:

250 g fresh or frozen raspberries
2 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar

8 ladyfingers
1/4 cup sherry
1 cup heavy cream
4 egg yolks
100 g sugar
1 cup milk
1 vanilla bean
1-1/2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
6 macaroons

Preparation:

Sprinkle the raspberries with the powdered sugar and drizzle with 2 tablespoons sherry. Set aside.
Cut the vanilla pod lengthways and scrape out the pith with the back of the knife. Place the milk with the vanilla pulp and the vanilla pod on the stove, stir in the gelatin and bring everything to a boil. Set aside.
In the meantime beat the egg yolk with the sugar until creamy white. Put the still warm vanilla milk in a large metal bowl and continue to heat in a water bath. Slowly stir in the egg yolk cream and stir vigorously with the whisk or, better still, with the electric mixer until frothy. It should be a thick cream. Refrigerate until semi-solid.
Place the ladyfingers in a large glass bowl or four dessert bowls and sprinkle evenly with the remaining sherry. Spread the raspberries on it, set aside a few raspberries for decoration.
Beat the heavy cream until stiff. Stir again the semi-firm cream with the whisk and then fold in the heavy cream evenly. Spread the cream on the raspberries.
Decorate the dessert with the macaroons, crumble a few of them and sprinkle on the cream. Finally, decorate the pudding with the remaining raspberries.

Brathering – Marinated Fried Herring

September 28, 2018 By germanculture

Pronounced /ˈbrɑːtˌheɪrɪŋ/, Brathering is a popular dish from northern Germany made of fried fresh herrings that marinate for several days before serving. Serve for lunch with fried potatoes.

Ingredients:

4 fresh herrings ready to be cooked
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon sugar
flour
butter or oil for frying
1 cup red wine vinegar
1 cup vegetable broth
2 bay leaves
3 cloves
10 black peppercorns
1 tablespoon mustard seeds
8 ounce jar mixed pickles drained
8 ounce jar cocktail onions
4 hot chilies

Preparation:

Salt and pepper the herrings and coat them with flour.
Heat the butter/oil in a frying pan and fry the herrings till golden brown. Let them drain on paper towels.
Combine vinegar, vegetable broth, spices and sugar in a pot and boil. Let it cool off. Put the herrings in a bowl, add the well-drained and sliced mixed pickles, cocktail onions and chilies and cover with the broth.
Store covered in a refrigerator for several days. Serve with fried potatoes.

Cannstatter Volksfest in Stuttgart

September 24, 2018 By germanculture

For almost 200 years, the Cannstatter Volksfest has enjoyed enormous popularity and annually attracts about four million visitors from near and far to Stuttgart, the state capital of Baden Württemberg. People are captivated by the special atmosphere of the wonderful funfair coupled with beautiful festival tents, a colorful flea market and many spectacular attractions. Rich in tradition, the Cannstatter Volksfest is not only the biggest festival in Baden Württemberg but it is also has one of the biggest funfairs in the whole of Europe.

This year the festival takes place on Sep 28, 2018 – Oct 14, 2018.

The Cannstatter Volksfest is an annual three-week Volksfest (beer festival and traveling funfair) in Stuttgart, Germany. It is sometimes also referred to by foreign visitors as the Stuttgart Beer Festival, although it is actually more of an autumnal fair.

The festival takes place at the Cannstatter Wasen from late September to early October, spanning a period over three weekends, ending the second Sunday in October. The extensive Wasen area is in the Stuttgart city district of Bad Cannstatt, near the river Neckar. A smaller variant of the Stuttgart festival, the Stuttgart Spring Festival, is also held each year in Wasen.

Although the Volksfest is not strictly speaking a beer festival, it is considered by many to be the second largest beer celebration in the world after the Munich Oktoberfest. According to estimates about 4.2 million people visited the festival in 2006. The Volksfest begins one week later than the Oktoberfest.

In a time of political strife and economic weakness, Württemberg’s King Wilhelm I and his wife Katharina laid the foundations for what today has become known as the Cannstatter Volksfest by forming the “Centralstelle des landwirtschaftlichen Vereins” – an agricultural organization – in 1817. An agricultural festival with horse races, prizes for outstanding achievements in livestock breeding combined with a people’s festival was, in accordance with the king’s wishes, designed to revive Württemberg’s economy after the damage done to it during the Napoleonic wars.

Everything was then prepared for 28 September, one day after the king’s birthday, in the following year. The original Cannstatter Wasen site has been the venue for the major festival ever since 1818. At the time it was an idyllic though watery meadow on the banks of the River Neckar which was yet to be dammed up. Lying between green fields and vineyards and without any surrounding buildings, the Wasen, as the site is called by the locals, lay within view of the royal Villa Bellevue close to the Wilhelma, the only combined zoo and botanical garden in Germany. It was therefore only a short horse-drawn carriage ride away for the festival’s benefactor who had no intention of missing the ceremonial opening and witnessing the successful start. The original idea of the “king amongst farmers and the farmer amongst kings”, as Wilhelm I was called by his contemporaries, continues today in the shape of the so-called “Landwirtschaftlichen Hauptfest”, a large agricultural show running parallel to the Volksfest that showcases all the latest technology within the farming industry in the state of Baden Württemberg.

The “Fruchtsäule” (Fruit Column) is the emblem of the Cannstatter Volksfest. There has been a towering column decorated with many different kinds of fruit, cereals and vegetables ever since the first Volksfest in 1818. Today the symbol reminds one of the origins of the Volksfest, namely the agricultural festival. Commissioned and funded by King Wilhelm I, the frist fruit column was designed and built by the architect to the royal court, Nikolaus Friedrich von Thouret, the money for the first fruit column was funded by King Wilhelm I.

The “fruit column” is a wooden pillar decorated with fruit, it is 26 m high and weighing 3.5 tons. After World War I, with the beginning of the Weimar Republic, the fruit column was removed from the Cannstatter Wasen as it was considered a relic of the monarchy. Since 1935, the 100th anniversary, it has been back in its traditional place. Until recently the fruit column, the design of which has changed over the years, was dismantled after each Volksfest. Every few years it is redesigned. Since 1995 it has been left in place throughout the year and is thus also on display at the Stuttgart spring festival. In recent years only the tip has been dismantled leaving the lower portion in place housing information stands and the Cannstatter “city can”.

Today, there are seven large beer tents on the Cannstatter Wasen for people to celebrate in. They either have their own name or carry the name of the brewery supplying the beer.

Schwaben Bräu tent of Alexander Laub, remodeled in 2006 and now offering room for about 5,200 people
Stuttgarter Hofbräu tent of Hans-Peter Grandl, room for 5,000
Dinkelacker tent of Dieter and Werner Klauss seating 4,500 visitors
Fürstenberg tent – from 2000 to 2004, Walter Weitmann organized a tent with about 5,000 seats for the Fürstenberg Brewery, which courted the other breweries’ resentment by both its size and the origin (Fürstenberg is from Baden). In 2005, a smaller tent (room for 2,800) run by Peter Brandl replaced Weitmann’s
Festzelt Göckelesmaier – established in 1938 as Maiers Karle, renamed because of the roasted chicken (Swabian: Göckele) served there, seats 2,500, also serves Stuttgarter Hofbräu beer
Festzelt Wasenwirt – room for 2200, Stuttgarter Hofbräu
Arcadia Erlebniszelt – established in 2005, 1,800 seats, an artificial waterfall and Dinkelacker brew

Since 1982 the tents of Laub, Grandl and Klauss have been located by the fruit column. Each tent takes it in turn to host the opening ceremony. The price for a Maß is usually the same in all tents.

Traditionally a parade also takes place at the Wasen, usually on the first Sunday. In 1954 a record number of spectators attended the parade along the route from Stuttgart’s central square to the Wasen site: 300,000.The Mohrenköpfle is a pig in the parade. On the orders of King Wilhelm I, masked pigs (Maskenschweine?) were imported from Central China in 1820/21, in order to improve pig breeding in the kingdom of Baden-Württemberg. This crossbreeding with the “Chinese pigs” was particularly successful within the stocks of domestic pigs in the Hohenlohe region and the area around the town of Schwäbisch Hall.

Obatzda – German Cheese Dip

September 22, 2018 By germanculture

A classic biergarten food, Obatzda, also spelled obatzter and obazda, combines a few simple ingredients to create a brightly colored cheese spread with surprisingly complex flavor. Typical accompaniments for Obatzda are Bavarian pretzels, rye bread, rounds of red radish or spiral-cut white radish. Perfect for the Oktoberfest party!

Ingredients:

500 g ripe Camembert
40 g soft butter
200 g cream cheese
80 g finely chopped onions
Salt, pepper
Paprika, caraway
2 tbsp of chopped chives
60 g finely sliced onion rings
6-8 tbsp of beer to taste

Preparation:

Mash the Camembert with a fork and add the butter, cream cheese and onions.
Season with salt, pepper, paprika and caraway to taste. Add beer gradually and stir.
Spoon a portion of Obatzda onto each plate and garnish with onion rings, chives and caraway.
Serve preferably with rye bread, wholemeal bread and radishes.

Recipe source: https://goo.gl/MeDVwG.

Weißwurst, German White Sausage

September 20, 2018 By germanculture

A Weißwurst, literally white sausage, is a traditional Bavarian sausage made from minced veal and pork back bacon. The Weißwurst was created in Munich on February 22, 1857, and has since become a very important part of Bavaria cooking and lifestyle. Legend has it that the Weißwurst was invented by mistake in 1857, when an innkeeper in Munich ran out of sheep casings for his Bratwürste and in order to feed his hungry guests, used tough and chewy pork casings instead. It is usually flavored with parsley, lemon, mace, onions, ginger, and cardamom, although there are some variations. Then the mixture is stuffed into pork casings and separated into individual sausages measuring about ten to twelve centimeters in length and three to four centimeters in thickness.

As they are very perishable, Weißwürste traditionally were manufactured early in the morning and prepared and eaten as a snack between breakfast and lunch; there is a saying that the sausages should not be allowed to hear the noon chime of the church bells. Traditionally, Weißwürste may only be served until midday because preservatives are not used, the meat is not smoked, and hence the sausage is made fresh every day. Indeed, they are sometimes called morning sausages. Before modern refrigeration technologies, in summertime the sausages would go bad before nightfall. Even today, most Bavarians never eat Weißwürste after lunchtime (though it is perfectly acceptable to have a lunch consisting of Weißwürste at, say, half past one).

The sausages are heated in water—well short of boiling—for about ten minutes, which will turn them greyish-white because no color-preserving nitrite is used in Weisswurst preparation.

Ingredients:

36 g salt
600 g lean veal meat (“veal stew meat”) at refrigerator temperature, cut into 1 cm cubes
300 g lean pork meat, cut into 1 cm cubes, partially frozen
400 g pork fat (pork belly without the skin, etc.) at refrigerator temperature, cut into 1 cm cubes
300 g ice
100 g pork skin
½ tsp dried lemon peel
¼ tsp white pepper
pinch of dried ginger
pinch of freshly grated cardamom
pinch of dried mace
10 g onion (don’t chop!)
20 g parsley, chopped
sausage casings (hog)

Preparation:

Prepare casings per instructions (soak in warm water until pliable, rinse outside and inside). Set aside.
Bring 1 liter of water to a boil. Simmer pork skin and onion for ca. 15 minutes. Remove from water, run through meat grinder, set aside.
Combine lean meat (pork, veal), spices, salt and half of the ice. Blend in the food processor until you have a smooth mix. Set aside, refrigerate.
Blend pork fat in the food processor until smooth.
Blend in lean meat mix.
Blend in remaining ice until the mixture is smooth and no ice clumps remain.
With the food processor mix in ground pork skin and parsley, blend just enough to distribute evenly.
Stuff 16 sausages using a sausage-stuffer or a sausage-stuffing attachment. Do not overstuff, when twisting the links, leave a little room for expansion in each link. If necessary, remove large air bubbles by piercing the casing with a skewer. Tie off the links.
In a large stock pot heat up water to 80°C. Check with thermometer.
Place sausages in hot water, leave in for 30 minutes, adjust heat to keep temperature constant at 80°C. Check with thermometer.
Remove from hot water, place in cold water to cool. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
To serve, heat up with some fresh parsley in hot beef stock (or salted water). Do not boil or it may cause the sausages to split.
Serve with fresh pretzels and sweet mustard (“Weißwurstsenf”) and a tall cold glass of Weißbier.