Bayerische Sachen: Teil VI (Traditional Bavarian Food)
What color is the Lebkuchen dough?
The dough is brown.
G'häckweckla
two raw Nürnberger Bratwürste crushed with onions and eaten in a bun
blaue Zipfel
6, 8, 10, or 12 Nürnberger Bratwürste cooked in an onion-vinegar brew
How are the Nürnberger Bratwürste typically served/eaten?
6, 8, 10, or 12 grilled sausages with horseradish and sauerkraut or potato salad, as "blaue Zipfel," "drei im Weggla," or "G'häckweckla"
What is the origin of the name Elisen in the word Lebkuchen?
According to the legend, they were named after Elisabeth, the daughter of a Nürnberg gingerbread baker. One day, she grew ill, and no doctor could help her. In his despair, the baker thought of a special cure. He knew how valuable oriental spices were, so he baked a specially-spiced Lebkuchen for Elisabeth. The baker used no flour, only the finest ingredients. His daughter gained strength and got healthy.
die Dampfnudel
First, make the dough of white flour, water, yeast, salt, butter, eggs, and a little sugar. Then, form it into balls about the size of an egg or a fist and leave to rise. Finally, cook the rolls in a closed pot, preferably a high-rimmed iron pan with a lid, with milk and butter (or saltwater and fat) until a golden-brown crust forms at the bottom after the liquid has evaporated. The tops remain white. Serve Dampnudeln with ice cream, vanilla or berry sauce, or with potato soup.
What is der Obatzda? How does one prepare it?
It is a Bavarian cheese dip. Mash the Camembert with a fork and add the butter, cream cheese, and onions. Season with salt, pepper, paprika, and caraway seeds to taste. Add beer gradually and stir.
das Böfflamot
It is a beef roast marinated in red wine. Böfflamot is usually served with potatoes and bread dumplings.
der Zwetschgendatschi
It is a sheet cake with zwetschgen, a variety of plums, baked on a yeast, or short dough crust.
What is the origin of the word Lebkuchen?
It is derived either from the old German word lebbe, meaning very sweet (Leb+Kuchen=sweet cake) or from the Latin word libum, meaning flat cake.
Why is the Nürnberger Rostbratwurst so small?
It owes its size probably to the risen prices for meat and vegetables, which made the high-class sausage in the second half of the 16th century uneconomical. For that reason, the smart Nürnberg citizens decided to make the Bratwurst smaller.
Honey used to be an important ingredient in the production of Lebkuchen. Where did the bakers get it?
It was in abundance in Nürnberg in the Middle Ages thanks to the Nürnberger Reichswald. It is a forest near Nürnberg, nicknamed the bee garden of the Holy Roman Empire.
Who looks after the quality of the Nürnberger Rostbratwurst?
Just like in former times, the City Council looks after the quality of "its" Bratwurst - from meat quality, gut, flavor, size, and weight as well as the recipe for it. For example, the typical marjoram flavor and absolute fat content of 35 % are defined.
What is the origin of the name Böfflamot?
Napoleon may have brought it to Bayern. The name Böfflamot is the Bavarian pronunciation of "Boeuf à la mode" ("beef in style"), the name of the dish in French.
Nürnberger Lebkuchen
Nürnberg gingerbread is a Christmas baked product. Since July 1, 1996, it bears the PGI seal.
Who baked Lebkuchen originally?
Originally, they were baked in monasteries as flat honey cakes mixed with the juices of medicinal herbs.
What is Protected Geographical Indication?
PGI emphasizes the relationship between the specific geographic region and the name of the product, where a particular quality, reputation, or other characteristic is primarily attributable to its geographical origin. For most products, at least one of the stages of production, processing or preparation takes place in the region.
die Brezn
Soft pretzels are soda washed baked products made from yeast dough. Salt is the most common seasoning for them, although it can be replaced with poppy, sesame, pumpkin, or sunflower seeds.
Are there legends explaining the size of the Nürnberger Rostbratwurst?
The most favored one says that the Nürnberg innkeepers were able to sell the sausages to their hungry guests even after the curfew by pushing them through a keyhole. The other one claims that the Nürnberg Rostbratwurst is so small to supply the inmates through specially drilled holes in the walls of their cells (explaining the name Lochgefängnisse (Holeprisons) which one can, by the way, visit in Nürnberg).
What are some characteristics of Nürnberger Rostbratwurst?
The original Nürnberger Rostbratwurst is 7 to 9 cm (2.76 to 3.5 inches) long and weighs between 20 and 25 grams (0.7 - 0.88 oz). It is produced only from middle coarse minced pork, has a typical marjoram flavor, and fat content of 35 %. Due to its artisan tradition and uniqueness, the sausage received the PGI seal in 2003.
der Elisenlebkuchen
These are an elite form of Lebkuchen and can contain no more than 10% flour and at least 25% nuts.
die Apfelkücherl
They are apple rings dipped in batter and fried to a golden brown color. Apfelkücherl are served with powdered sugar and cinnamon, whipped cream, or fruit. They complement a potato soup as well.
die Bauchstecherl
They are made from raw and cooked potatoes and fried in oil. These noodles are often called Fingernudeln because of their shape. They came into being after the war when people often had a meatless diet. One can serve Fingerl as a side dish or as a main meal with stewed plums or sauerkraut.
What are the shape and dimensions of the Nürnberger Lebkuchen?
They are round or rectangular with a diameter of 8 to 10 cm (3.15 - 4 inches) and a height of 1 to 1.5 cm (0.4 - 0.6 inch). White Lebkuchen are produced only in a rectangular shape.
What is the texture of the Nürnberger Lebkuchen?
They have a fine, soft, and moist body with small pieces of oil nuts.
What are the ingredients of the Nürnberger Lebkuchen?
They have a high content of sugar, eggs, and nuts. The proportion of flour is low. The Lebkuchen are spiced with cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, allspice, coriander, nutmeg, mace, vanilla, and ginger.
What do the Nürnberger Lebkuchen taste like?
They taste sweet with a spicy aroma (due to the spices) and a light nutty flavor.
Allgäuer Bergkäse
This hard mountain cheese from the Allgäu region of Bayern and Baden-Württemberg is the only "PDO" (Protected Designation of Origin) cheese from Germany. It is traditionally made by hand in copper vats, one wheel at a time, and only from raw silage free milk from cows grazing only in the Allgäu region. It produces a firm artisanal cheese with a spicy flavor, a characteristically strong aroma, and a dark yellow or brown rind. It has to ripen for at least four months.
die Kalbsbries-Milzwurst
This sausage is made from 65% white veal sausage meat, 25% pork, chopped thymus glands, and spleen as well as spices stuffed into an intestine. Its diameter is from 5 to 9 cm. It is served cut into slices that are breaded and fried or just heated up in a pan.
When did the commercial production of the Nürnberger Lebkuchen begin?
around the 13th-14th centuries
altbayerische Kartoffelsuppe
old Bavarian potato soup
die Auszogne
the Bavarian doughnut
der Leberkäse
the Bavarian meatloaf
das Kalb
the calf
der Kaiserschmarrn
the cut-up and sugared pancakes served with apple sauce
der Knödel
the dumpling
die Kässpatzen/die Kasspatzen
the egg noodles baked with cheese
der Steckerlfisch
the fish on a stick
das Lebkuchenherz
the gingerbread heart
das Grillhendl
the grilled chicken
der Senf
the mustard
die Schweinshaxe
the pork knuckle
das Radi
the radish
der Schweinsbraten
the roast pork
die Leberkässemmel
the roll with a slice of Bavarian meatloaf
die Milz
the spleen
das Bries
the thymus gland, the sweetbreads
die/eine Weißwurst
the/a white veal sausage
drei im Weggla
three Nürnberger Bratwürste in a roll
Where did Nürnberg gingerbread makers get the necessary spices?
through trade with Venice
To what year does the first documented evidence of the Nürnberger Rostbratwurst date?
to 1462
