Hamburg

Molasses and gingerbread cookies, common during Christmas

Buckwheat gateau or Buckwheat torte is a dessert that is a speciality of the Lüneburg Heath region of Lower Saxony in northern Germany. The gateau consists of layers of cake made from buckwheat flour and heather honey, separated by a fruit layer using yoghurt and cranberries and topped by whipped cream and chocolate shavings.

Butterkuchen or Zuckerkuchen is a simple German butter cake baked on a tray. Flakes of butter are distributed on the dough which, after baking, form the characteristic holes. The whole cake is sprinkled with sugar or streusel. After further kneading the Butterkuchen is baked. As a variation the dough can be sprinkled with roasted almond flakes. Butterkuchen is a favourite element of Westphalian and North German coffee tables. It is also served at weddings and funerals and, as a result, is sometimes called Freud-und-Leid-Kuchen or Beerdigungskuchen ("funeral cake"). A regional variation is to sprinkle the Butterkuchen with a sugar-cinnamon mixture rather than with sugar alone. This is very similar to Moravian Sugar Cake.

A Franzbrötchen is a small, sweet pastry baked with butter and cinnamon, similar to a cinnamon roll. 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. The ingredients of the dough include flour, butter, yeast, milk, sugar, and a pinch of salt. The filling is a mixture of sugar and cinnamon. Several times in succession, the dough is folded and rolled out thinly, and coated with butter. As soon as the dough is sufficiently outstretched to a filmy layer, it is moistened with a little water, sprinkled with a melange of sugar and cinnamon and finally rolled up. In order to provide the filled dough roll with the typical shape of a Franzbrötchen, it has to be cut into slices, each about four centimetres thick. Afterwards, the pieces are pressed together in the middle of the cut faces with the handle of a wooden spoon, which causes the filling to ooze out sideways. On baking, the yeast dough rises and the melange of sugar and cinnamon is slightly caramelized on the outside of the layers. Due to the butter and the caramelized sugar, the Franzbrötchen is often a little sticky. Variants of the Franzbrötchen may contain raisins, seeds, chocolate sprinkles or pumpkin seeds. The Franzbrötchen was probably named in the style of the French (German 'französisch') model, the croissant, which is also made of pastry and became popular in Germany after Napoleon's troops had occupied Hamburg between 1806 and 1814. According to a different historical tradition, they produced a longish Franzbrot (German for 'French bread') which resembled the baguette. Legend has it, a baker in Hamburg had once seared such a Franzbrot in a pan of fat, which is considered the origin of the contemporary Franzbrötchen.

Bread pudding with fruit such as cherries, plums, raisins, apples, berries, commonly cooked in a round cake mold

Currant bun, a yeast roll made with currants, raisins

Fruit bread with candied/dried fruit, nuts and spices

Danish pastry

Welf pudding or Guelph pudding , sometimes known as Hock Pudding, is a two-layered pudding from Germany. The white bottom layer is made from a cooked milk and vanilla sauce on a base of very stiffly whipped egg white. After being chilled it is then covered with a yellow layer of wine sauce made of beaten egg yolk, white wine and a little lemon juice. Welf pudding gets its name from the colours of the House of Welf (also known as the House of Guelph), a German aristocratic family that ruled the Principality of Lüneburg in medieval times. The pudding is a culinary specialty from Lower Saxony in north Germany. It was created by a Hanoverian chef and served for the first time at the 200th anniversary of the rule of the House of Welf. It is said that it became the favourite dessert of Ernest Augustus, Elector of Hanover.

Kogel mogel is an egg-based homemade dessert once popular in parts of Europe. It is made from egg yolks, sugar, and flavourings such as honey, vanilla, cocoa or rum, similar to eggnog or zabaione. In its classic form it is served slightly chilled or at room temperature. Served warm or hot, it is considered a home remedy for sore throats. Variations include milk, honey and soda. Kogel mogel became known by this name by the 17th-century Jewish communities of Central Europe. It may have its roots in the Jewish code of law called the Shulchan Arukh where one is allowed to consume sweet syrup and/or raw egg on Shabbat to make one's voice more pleasant. Vasmer's dictionary mentions different hypotheses on the origin of the name such as English hug-mug, hugger-mugger, or German Kuddelmuddel.

Heidegeist is a herbal liqueur that is sold especially in the area of the Lüneburg Heath in northern Germany. The name means "heath spirit" or "heath ghost". Heidegeist contains a total of 31 heather ingredients and has an alcohol content of 50%. It is clear in colour and has a strong, minty taste. Originally manufactured by C.W. Baland & Langebartels from Celle, Heidegeist is now produced, like its sister spirit, Ratzeputz, by Schwarz & Schlichte in Oelde. It is sold in five different bottle sizes and is available in chocolate form with a liquid centre.

Ratzeputz is a schnaps, a type of spirit popular in Germany, which contains extracts and distillates of root ginger. The fresh ginger it contains is said to be beneficial to the stomach. Ratzeputz today (2006) only contains 58% alcohol; whereas higher proportions of alcohol used to be common. The ingredients, which are found by most consumers to be sharp, are intended to leave a long aftertaste in the mouth and throat. Ratzeputz was first created in 1877 by Peter Weidmann, a distiller in Celle. In the town, the Lüneburg Heath region and its surrounding area, Ratzeputz is a well-known, high-alcohol spirit-based speciality. Its strong but delicate ginger flavour has helped it gain considerable international attention as well. Originally bottled by C.W. Baland & Langebartels in Celle, it is now made under licence by Schwarze and Schlichte in Oelde.

Sweet and sour soup with plums, apples, vegetables, may also contain eel, as aalsuppe sounds like eel soup

Birnen, Bohnen und Speck is a North German dish which is especially popular in the states of Schleswig-Holstein, Lower Saxony, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Hamburg. It also goes under the names of Bohnen, Birnen und Speck and, locally, the Low German names of Grööner Hein and Grönen Heini (lit: "Green Harry"). The seasonal availability of its ingredients means that the dish is mainly eaten in the months of August and September. The dish is a type of stew, in which—as the name indicates—the main ingredients are pears, beans and speck. In North German country kitchens, potatoes would also be added, even though they are not specifically mentioned. Generally cut French beans (Brechbohnen) are used. In Hamburg on the markets occasionally "Turkish peas" may be found, despite its name a Vierlande bean variety that used to be frequently used for this dish. During preparation several sprigs of savory are added to the beans.

Buttermilk soup with dumplings, potatoes, bacon, green beans, vegetables, chervil

A Fischbrötchen (pl. "Fischbrötchen", lit. fish bread roll) is a sandwich made with fish and other components such as fresh white or dried onions, pickles, remoulade, creamy horseradish sauce, ketchup, or cocktail sauce. It is commonly eaten in Northern Germany, due to the region's proximity to the North Sea and Baltic Sea. A common preparation is made with bismarck herring or soused herring. Other varieties use Brathering, rollmops, European sprat, salmon, smoked Atlantic mackerel, fried Atlantic cod, and other fish varieties (e.g., fish burgers). Prawns are sometimes used, as are various other species of food fish. Fischbrötchen are commonly served at fast food stands or take-out restaurants.

Elderberry soup, often made with semolina dumplings

Grünkohlessen is an old wintertime custom in North Germany, and parts of Scandinavia (Denmark and Scania), involving drinking, games, and a feast of regional dishes, typically featuring kale, potatoes, and sausages. It is practised in the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen and its surrounding districts of Osterholz, Diepholz, Verden and Rotenburg, in Oldenburg Land, the County of Bentheim, Emsland, Osnabrück Land and East Frisia, in the Middle Weser Region, and also in Hamburg, Cuxhaven, in the Hanover Region, Hildesheim region, Brunswick Land, in the Magdeburg region, in Westphalia and Schleswig-Holstein. Grünkohl (similar to Braunkohl and the Dutch boerenkool but with curly cale instead of cabbage, and creamed) is curly-leafed kale, a type of cabbage, traditionally harvested after the first autumn frost. The late harvest of kale ensures that its bitter-tasting constituents have disappeared, although modern kale varieties are generally low on bitter components and are harvested as early as in September.

Shrimp soup

Labskaus is a culinary speciality from northern Germany and in particular from the cities of Bremen, Hamburg, and Lübeck. The main ingredients are salted meat or corned beef, potatoes, and onion. Some recipes put beetroot, pickled gherkin, or even herring into it, while others have these ingredients as side dishes. The origin of this word is uncertain.[discuss] One possible source for the name could be Latvian labs kauss, meaning 'good bowl' or hotpot, or Lithuanian labas káušas, meaning the same. The dish became common among sailors during the time of the great ships. Potatoes and salted meats were standard fare and labskaus would stretch the meat supply. Labskaus is now commonly served in restaurants only on Germany's northern coast, as well as in traditional Danish restaurants. Compare with scouse.[citation needed]

Very large dumpling cooked in a cloth bag and sliced, serve with, for example, ham, sausage, bacon, sweet fruit sauce

Pan-fried fish with potatoes in a mustard sauce

The rundstück warm is a hot dish consisting of a slice of warm roast beef or pork served between the slices of a halved round wheat roll, which is then doused with hot gravy. It is sometimes served with mustard and side dishes such as pickles or aspic from the roast stock. The original bread roll of Hamburg is called "Rundstück" (lit.: round piece) Those that were not eaten for breakfast were plated with slices of roasted pork, smothered in sauce and were then called "Rundstück warm". Earlier versions of the dish typically only included a bread roll underneath the meat. It has been described as being "centuries old". It has been posited by some historians that the dish originated in Hamburg in the 17th century, when the round roll began to be purveyed in Hamburg. Following this, leftover pork and gravy from Sunday roasts were used to prepare the dish on Mondays.

Creamy vegetable soup with ham, potatoes, schnüsch is also made into a gratin

Soup made with blood or blood pudding, vinegar, vegetables, dried fruit, meat, spices

Steckrübeneintopf is a German dish that, today, is especially common in North Germany. It generally consists of a stew made from swede, carrots and potatoes in varying proportions and diverse, usually smoked or pickled, types of meat or sausage. Occasionally special cooking pears used as well. The stew may be seasoned and refined with salt, pepper, mustard, horseradish, celery, leeks or parsley, etc., according to taste. On many farms this dish was prepared almost daily, alongside roast potatoes. Often it alternated with a second, daily-changing meal. For this reason, especially in the region of Stade, it is still called Tokokers (= Zugekochtes). If the meat is smoked, the dish is also called Rökert (= Geräuchertes or "smoked"). In Schleswig-Holstein, the stew is made with pre-cooked sausage (Kochwurst) and Kassler and is known as Rübenmalheur. For the variant known as Lübecker National, pork (blade, belly) is preferred and flour or cream are used as binding agents. This recipe can also contain onions. In Hamburg, the corresponding dish is called Hamburger National und can contain beef or chicken in addition to bacon and belly pork.

Kohlwurst, Lungenwurst or Lungwurst is a simple, fresh, strongly smoked sausage made of lights (lungs), pork and fat, which is mostly eaten cooked with kale (cabbage) dishes, such as Knieperkohl. (The word "Kohl" in German refers not only to kale, but to vegetables in the cabbage family; the sausage does not contain these vegetables but they are commonly served with it.) It is mainly used in Northeast and Northwest German and Silesian cuisine, as well as in southwestern parts of Denmark, where it is called "kålpølse" (kale sausage). Comparable sausage types are Bregenwurst and Pinkel.

Soused herring is raw herring soaked in a mild preserving liquid. It can be raw herring in a mild vinegar pickle or Dutch brined herring. As well as vinegar, the marinade might contain cider, wine or tea, sugar, herbs , spices (usually mace), and chopped onion. The word 'soused' can also describe a marinated herring that has been cooked. The herring is usually baked in the (vinegar) marinade (but can be fried and then soaked in the marinade). It is served cold. This is usual in Scotland, Wales and Ireland. The soused herring (maatjesharing or just maatjes in Dutch, or Matjes/matjes in German and Swedish respectively) is an especially mild salt herring, which is made from young immature herrings. The herrings are ripened for a couple of days in oak barrels in a salty solution, or brine. The pancreatic enzymes which support the ripening make this version of salt herring especially mild and soft. Raw herring pickled in vinegar are called rollmops.