German Cuisine (Deutsch Kche)

The culinary background in Germany is affected by the varied geography which

includes coastal plains, high-altitude mountains and thick forests. Early farmers
had to grow what is suitable to the land, which limited their choices since they
didnt have the flexibility to rotate crops the way growers in more forgiving
regions could. The long winters and the short harvest seasons put a significance
on hearty grains including barley and wheat which led to brewing beer activities
in around 800BC.
The abundance of water both from snowmelt in the Apls and a network of rivers
working their way through the land towards the North Sea make it suitable for
grazing animals. Domestic livestock including cattle and goats supplemented
their early diet until more advanced farming and irrigation methods were
introduced and a wider variety of crops such as potatoes are accessible.
At the height of the Roman Empire, several settlements cropped up as far as
north as the Danube River, which crosses the southern portion of modern-day
Germany. This opened up important trade routes that introduced spices, fruits
and vegetables that until then were exotic to the area.
Modern German food indicates these early influences with a significance still on
basic, hearty meals such as the meat and potatoes of European fare. This is
particularly true in the northern region. In the south, influences from Italy and
France have influenced German cuisine where pasta is often substituted for
potatoes.
Typical German dishes include Currywurst, Brezel and Zwiebelkuchen.
1. Currywurst

There are two stories behind the creation of the Currywurst. (Source:
http://www.germanfoodguide.com/wurstdetail.cfm?wurst_number=18)
One story dates back to September 4, 1949, when Herta Heuwer claims to have
created the first version of the Currywurst in her small fast food stand
(Imbisstand) in Berlin. She pan-fried a boiled wurst, then topped it with a sauce
made from tomato paste, curry powder, Worcestershire Sauce, and additional
seasonings. Her creation was an instant hit. In 1959, she patented her sauce and
gave it the name "Chillup." Business improved so much that she had to move to
a larger location to accommodate her customers. Kraft Foods learned of her
success and tried to purchase the recipe and rights to her Chillup sauce.
However, Herta refused to sell. Today, at the original location of her fast food
stand, is a plaque honoring her and her beloved creation.
The other story is found in a book by Uwe Timms ("Die Entdeckung der
Currywurst") which claims that Lena Brcker created the first Currywurst in
Hamburg in 1947. Lena Brcker, however, is a fictional character that is
supposed to represent "one of wonderful women that helped to rebuild the
country after WWII." Uwe Timms bases his story on his memory of his childhood,
when he first ate a Currywurst in Hamburg in 1947. He states that the first CurrySauce was first created by accident. Lena Brcker, owner of a fast food stand in
Hamburg, was carrying big bottles of curry powder and ketchup. While walking
up a flight of stairs, she tripped and dropped both bottles. This accident caused
the items to get mixed together. In the process of cleaning up the mess, she
licked some sauce off her fingers and discovered that the curry-ketchup mixture
was quite tasty. The first Curry-Sauce was invented. The author claims that even
though the name of Lena Brcker is fictitious, his story is authentic.
Since the 1980's, the Currywurst has gained in popularity throughout Germany,
but especially in Hamburg, Berlin, and in the Ruhrgebiet region. Despite its fast
food competitors, namely Doner-Kebabs and Hamburgers, the Currywurst has
become Germany's favorite fast food.
Link to the recipe: http://www.live-like-a-german.com/recipes/show/84/currywurst

2. Brezel or Pretzel

A common origin story of pretzels is that they were created by a monk around
610 in Italy. According to The History of Science and Technology, the monk baked
strips of dough that he folded into a shape resembling a child crossing its arms in
prayer. He would give these treats, which he called pretiolas or little rewards,
to children who had memorized their prayers. Unfortunately- and not
surprisingly- theres no documented evidence from the 600s to confirm this story.
Other similar stories star a monk from France and bakers held hostage in
Germany.

While any one of these stories might have some modicum of merit, what we do
know for certain is that the earliest recorded evidence of pretzels appeared in
the crest of German bakers guilds in 1111. Later, in 1185, an illustration of
pretzels appeared in the Hortus Delicarum. The manuscript was compiled by
Herrad of Landsberg at an abbey in Alsace, then a region of Germany. However,
its very likely that pretzels existed long before either of these instances.
In a prayer book used by Catherine of Cleves in 1440, there was a picture of St.
Bartholomew surrounded by pretzels. By this time, pretzels were considered a
sign of good luck and spiritual wholenesspossibly due to the three holes in the
common pretzel shape touted to represent the Holy Trinity at this point. The
good luck connotation carried the pretzel to other holidays, including New
Years Day, when in Germany children hung pretzels around their necks; pretzels
hung on Christmas trees in Austria in the 16th century; and parents hid little
pretzels on Easter for children to find, an early version of an Easter egg hunt. In
Switzerland, the pretzel shape was used as a marriage knot, and couples would
each pull on a side of the pretzel on their wedding day. The larger half brought
prosperity to the marriageit was kind of like a doughy wishbone tradition.
Pretzels have long been integrated into the Christian faith. By the 16th century,
it had become tradition to eat pretzels on Good Friday in Germany, and Catholics
once considered them the official food of lent. Earlier laws of the Church stated
that only one meal a day was to be eaten during lent and the food couldnt come
from an animal. Yet another origin story says that pretzels were developed as a
food for lent. Whether or not this is true, pretzels did become a popular staple
during the holiday because it was easy to make and fulfilled the Churchs
guidelines.
(Source: http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2013/06/the-history-ofpretzels/)
Link to the recipe: http://www.thebreadkitchen.com/recipes/german-style-pretzelrecipe/

3. Zwiebelkuchen

Zwiebelkuchen is an onion tart that originated in Germany. It is an integral part

of the fall tradition in the Black Forest area of the country. In addition to onions,
the tart has a dough, and contains ham and sour cream. Texturally, the filling is
similar to that of a quiche.
In German, the word zwiebel translates as onion, and kuchen as cake or tart. A
tart can contain as much as three pounds (about 1.4 kilograms) of onions. In its
finished form, the onion tart shares features with both pizzas and quiches.
Basically, the tart base is a dough of white flour that gains bulk through a yeast
addition. Also present in the dough are salt, sugar and milk. Butter and eggs,
either separately or together, are also featured in recipes for the dough that
forms the base and the sides of the zwiebelkuchen. It is the filling that contains
the zwiebeln, or onions. Suitable onions can be either white onions or red onions,
which must first be softened in butter.
In addition to onions, the filling typically contains meat, usually ham or bacon.
The meat is cooked before the tart goes into the oven, sometimes with the
onions. Eggs and sour cream also go into the filling, to give the tart its quichelike texture. Optional flavorings include nutmeg, marjoram or pepper. Often, the
tart has no dough covering, and has the filling open, but sometimes it has
decorative top layers such as lattice designs from interlinked dough strips.
Zwiebelkuchen are associated with the Black Forest region of Germany. The
traditional time of year for inhabitants of the region to make the tart is at the
beginning of fall, after the summer glut of onions. Rather than a dinner dish, the
tart is a lunch specialty.
One option is to eat the tart by itself, but other foods are also associated with the
tart. Before eating the zwiebelkuchen, some Germans partake of some beef
broth, called rindesuppe. A traditional accompaniment to the zwiebelkuchen
itself, is a glass of new, young wine, known as Neuer Wein in the country.

Variations to the traditional zwiebelkuchen include a vegetarian option. This

version simply omits the ham or bacon. Cooks can also use pork sausage meat
instead of ham or bacon. Sliced mushrooms or cabbage can also suit the tart. Fat
from the bacon can cook these ingredients down, and the cabbage can also
undergo steam cooking before going into the filling.
(Source: http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-zwiebelkuchen.htm)
Link to the recipe: http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/6867/germanzwiebelkuchen-