Lower Saxony

Raisin bread or fruit bread is a type of bread made with raisins and flavored with cinnamon. It is "usually a white flour or egg dough bread". Aside from white flour, raisin bread is also made with other flours, such as all-purpose flour, oat flour, or whole wheat flour. Some recipes include honey, brown sugar, eggs, or butter. Variations of the recipe include the addition of walnuts, hazelnuts, pecans or, for a dessert, rum or whisky. Raisin bread is eaten in many different forms, including being served toasted for breakfast ("raisin toast") or made into sandwiches. Some restaurants serve raisin bread with their cheeseboards.

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.

Pastry cream or vanilla custard/pudding mixed with whipped cream and topped with chocolate shavings, may include rum, almond extract, nuts, berries

Bremer Klaben, or just Klaben, is a type of Stollen from Bremen, Germany. This celebrated bread, famous in Northern Germany, is traditionally eaten during the Christmas season. It is said that Bremer Klaben tastes especially good when it is baked two weeks before serving. It has a shelf life of several months. This pastry has more raisins than an ordinary fruit cake. It is a bread of sorts made with dried fruit , flour, butter, sugar, orange and lemon peel, rum, almonds, yeast and salt, though many variations exist. A feature that distinguishes it from Stollen is that it is not dusted with powdered sugar after baking. The recipe is closely associated to the traditional Stecker cake shop which was founded in 1742. The earliest known document mentioning Klaben is from 1593.

Spaghettieis , or spaghetti ice cream, is a German ice cream dish made to resemble a plate of spaghetti. In the dish, vanilla ice cream is extruded through a modified Spätzle press or potato ricer, giving it the appearance of spaghetti. It is then placed over whipped cream and topped with strawberry sauce (to simulate tomato sauce) and either coconut flakes, grated almonds, or white chocolate shavings to represent the parmesan cheese. Besides the usual dish with strawberry sauce, one may also find variations like ice cream with dark chocolate and nuts, simulating spaghetti carbonara instead of spaghetti bolognese. Spaghettieis was created by second-generation ice cream shop owner Dario Fontanella [de] in the late 1960s in Mannheim, Germany. Fontanella was inspired by a mont blanc he tried as a teenager while skiing in Cortina d'Ampezzo. After being informed that the dessert was made using a spätzle press, he wanted to try creating a similar dish using the gelato from his father's shop. Fontanella's first attempt at spagettieis did not impress his father; he used strawberry, lemon and pistachio gelato to create a colorful depiction of the Italian flag. After switching to vanilla gelato and topping it with a strawberry purée, he grated a white chocolate Easter egg over top to resemble parmesan cheese. Fontanella recalls that initially, children who were served spaghettieis broke into tears because they wanted ice cream and not a plate of spaghetti. He received the "Bloomaulorden", a medal bestowed by the city of Mannheim, in 2014. For many years, the dish was not well known outside Germany, and could only be found at some gelaterias and specialty ice cream parlors, special events, and hotels and restaurants around the world. Since approximately 2014, Spaghettieis has begun to appear as a novelty in more restaurants and has had some attention on social media.

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.

Herbal liqueur

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.

Jägermeister is a German digestif made with 56 herbs and spices. Developed in 1934 by Wilhelm and Curt Mast, it has an alcohol by volume of 35% (61 degrees proof, or US 70 proof). The recipe has not changed since its creation and continues to be served in its signature green glass bottle. It is the flagship product of Mast-Jägermeister SE headquartered in Wolfenbüttel, Germany. Wilhelm Mast was a vinegar manufacturer and wine trader in the city of Wolfenbüttel, Germany. His son, Curt Mast (1897–1970), was passionate about the production of spirits and liqueurs, and always keen to help his father in the business even at an early age. In 1934, at age 37, after he took over his father's business, Curt devised the recipe for "Jägermeister".[citation needed] Curt was an enthusiastic hunter. The name Jägermeister in German literally means "Master Hunter", "Hunt Master", or "master of the hunt". It is a title for a high-ranking official in charge of matters related to hunting and gamekeeping. The term "Jägermeister" had existed as a job title for many centuries. In 1934, the new Reichsjagdgesetz (Reich hunting law) redefined the term, applying it to senior foresters, game wardens, and gamekeepers in the German civil service. Hermann Göring was appointed Reichsjägermeister (Reich hunting master) when the new hunting law was introduced. Thus, when Jägermeister was introduced in 1935, its name was already familiar to Germans, who sometimes called the product "Göring-Schnaps".

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.

Steinhäger is a type of German gin, a spirit flavoured with juniper berries. The name is derived from the Westphalian municipality of Steinhagen, the only place where it is permitted to be produced. For centuries, local distilleries sold schnaps made up of grain and fermented must of the numerous juniper shrubs growing on the slopes of the Teutoburg Forest. By edict of 1688, the "Great Elector" Frederick William of Brandenburg, in his capacity as Count of Ravensberg, granted the inhabitants of Steinhagen the exclusive privilege to distil liquor. During the 19th century, about 20 companies were founded in the village; today, only two manufacturers still produce gin. Steinhäger is typically sold in long brown earthenware (Steingut) bottles and in glass bottles made to look like earthenware. Since 1989, the Steinhäger geographical indication is protected by a European Economic Community directive. The alcohol content is usually 38% ABV but sometimes higher. The European Union has set a minimum of 37.5% ABV for it.

Brauerei C & A Veltins is a brewery in the west German city of Meschede-Grevenstein. In 2015, Veltins ranked fourth among Germany's best selling beers. The small guesthouse brewery of Franz Kramer opened its simple wooden gates in 1824. Clemens Veltins took over the brewery in 1852. The new name, Brauerei C & A Veltins, came from the twins Carl and Anton Veltins who took over the company from their father in 1893. Veltins brewery produces the well known Veltins Pilsener beer. Susanne Veltins has directed the company since 1994.

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

Sheep reared in Diepholz

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.

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, 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.

Hochzeitssuppe is a clear German soup based on chicken broth, fortified with chicken meat, small meatballs (Fleischklößchen), asparagus heads, noodles and savoury egg custard garnish (Eierstich). Sometimes raisins are added as well. Hochzeitssuppe is eaten in Northern Germany and Southern Germany by the bride and groom and guests, traditionally after the wedding ceremony, and it is usually served as the starter on the menu at the wedding reception. It is also eaten in other regions of Germany, because the Brautsuppe ("bride's soup") served to all the guests used to be an element of every wedding. A variation is the Westfälische Hochzeitssuppe ("Westphalian Wedding Soup"), a broth which is traditionally prepared from beef. This also forms the entree on wedding menus, followed by the cold meat from which the broth had been prepared, served with remoulade, silverskin onions and pickled gherkins as a second course.

Shrimp soup

Oyster is the common name for a number of different families of salt-water bivalve molluscs that live in marine or brackish habitats. In some species, the valves are highly calcified, and many are somewhat irregular in shape. Many, but not all oysters, are in the superfamily Ostreoidea.

Pan-fried fish with potatoes in a mustard sauce

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.

Smoked ham from Ammerländer Edelschwein pigs reared in Ammerland, Lower Saxony, Germany

Ammerländer Schinken – or Ammerländer Knochenschinken – is a type of dry-cured and smoked ham produced in the Ammerland Rural District of North Germany. Ammerländer Knochenschinken contains the bone, is heavily spiced and has a dark smoked color. Ammerländer Schinken is boneless, lightly spiced and lightly smoked. Historically, the ham was made from Ammerländer Edelschwein, a local breed of pigs. Today, the ham can also be made from pigs bred or fattened in the Ammerland Rural District. Both types of ham have PGI status under EU law. The raw meat used in its production is cured for three weeks by being rubbed with a dry mixture of sea salt and brown sugar, and sometimes a spice mixture of juniper, pepper and allspice. The ham is then cold-smoked over beechwood for several weeks, and finally aged for a period of up to two years. The oldest Ammerland ham smokehouse was founded in 1748 in Apen. It is now a museum named the Ammerländer Schinkenmuseum.

Braunschweiger is a type of sausage. The type of sausage the term refers to varies by region. In the German language, Braunschweiger is the demonym for people from Brunswick (German name Braunschweig), but under German food law refers to a variety of mettwurst. In Austria, Braunschweiger is known as a type of parboiled sausage (Brühwurst), while American Braunschweiger is often confused with liverwurst. Braunschweiger Mettwurst is a smoked, soft and spreadable sausage usually made from raw minced pork and spiced with garlic, salt and pepper. Produced by Brunswick butchers as a regional speciality since the early 19th century, it became widespread with the advent of food preservation by canning. Several different recipes exist, some also including beef and fat. In Austria, Braunschweiger is a Brühwurst variant which is similar to Jagdwurst ("hunting sausage"), made with a mixture of pork and beef, bacon and nitrite curing salt. This type of sausage is usually eaten between meals.

Bregenwurst is a German sausage variety commonly served in parts of Lower Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt. It is traditionally made of pork, pork belly, and pig or cattle brain, however animal brains have been forbidden in foodstuffs within the European Union since 2001, as a consequence of BSE outbreaks. The sausage is eaten raw or stewed, which gives it a spreadable consistency once broken from its casing. In winter it is also served with Grünkohl (kale).

Peas and carrots

Baked or fried Camembert cheese, serve with bread, cranberry compote

Sourdough rye bread with a crust that is sealed using flames prior to baking

Air-dried pork sausage from Göttingen, Lower Saxony, Germany

Cured pork sausage from Göttingen, Lower Saxony, Germany

Knipp is a type of sausage made by mixing meat with grains (Grützwurst) related to Pinkel which comes from the Bremen and Lower Saxony regions of Germany. Knipp is made from oat groats, pork head, pork belly, pork rind, liver and broth and seasoned with salt, allspice and pepper. Knipp is usually sold in roughly 30 cm (12 in) long and 10–15 cm (4–6 in) thick sausages as a Stange ("stick") or Rolle ("roll"). The smoked sausage is sold and consumed having been roasted, either just with bread, or with roast or boiled potatoes and gherkins, sweet and sour pumpkin, apple sauce (Apfelmus) and beetroot or even cold or hot on wholemeal bread. Sometimes crispy, fried slices of Beutelwurst are served with Knipp – this dish is known in Low Saxon as Knipp un Büddelwust.[citation needed] In the Lüneburg Heath, Knipp is made with Heidschnucke meat and is known as Heidjer Knipp.[citation needed]

Potatoes grown in Lüneburg Heath, Lower Saxony, Germany

Sheep reared in Lüneburg Heath, Lower Saxony, Germany

Multigrain bread is a type of bread prepared with two or more types of grain. Grains used include barley, flax, millet, oats, wheat, and whole-wheat flour, among others. Some varieties include edible seeds in their preparation, such as flaxseed, quinoa, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds. Rye and sourdough multigrain breads are additional varieties. Preparations include 7-grain and 9-grain bread, among others. Multigrain bread may be prepared using whole, unprocessed grains, although commercial varieties do not necessarily always contain whole grains. Whole grain multigrain breads contain a dietary fibre content of up to four times greater than white breads and may also contain more vitamins and protein compared to white bread. Multigrain breads also provide complex carbohydrates.

A pickert is a flat, fried or baked potato dish from Westphalia, Germany. It can be considered a kind of flattened dumpling or very nourishing pancake. It comes as a round Pfannenpickert the size of a pan, a rectangular Kastenpickert, or a palm-sized regular Pickert. The name is derived from Low German picken, pecken ("to stick something onto something else"). The main ingredients are grated potatoes, flour, milk, eggs, and (usually) raisins, with a little yeast, salt and sugar, and oil for the baking. Three big potatoes produce 10–15 palm-sized pickerts, enough for 4–5 people. Pickerts are a specialty of the district of Lippe, where they developed from a traditional meal for the poorer people. In former times, Pickert was eaten as breakfast or lunch by poor farmers, being a cheap and very nourishing dish, as would be required of food for a day's work in the fields. They are now served spread with sugar beet syrup, butter or (plum) jam, or leberwurst.

Pinkel is a smoked Kaszanka , which is a type of sausage. It is eaten mainly in northwest Germany, especially the region around Oldenburg, Bremen and Osnabrück as well as in East Frisia and Friesland. The word pinkel is East Frisian. The sausage name is thought to derive from pinkelt, meaning "little finger". Alternatively, the name could refer to the homonymous verb which means "to drip", referring to the manner in which fat drips from the sausage during smoking. Pinkel consists mainly of bacon, groats of oats or barley, beef suet, pig lard, onions, salt, pepper and other spices. The exact composition of the recipe is guarded by butchers as a trade secret and therefore varies from village to village. Pinkel with a high meat content is also described as Fleisch-Pinkel ("meat pinkel") or Oldenburger Pinkel. Pinkel is traditionally filled into the edible small intestines of pigs, although today edible artificial casings are also used.

A blood sausage is a sausage filled with blood that is cooked or dried and mixed with a filler until it is thick enough to solidify when cooled. Most commonly, the blood of pigs, sheep, lamb, cow, chicken, or goose is used. In Europe and the Americas, typical fillers include meat, fat, suet, bread, cornmeal, onion, chestnuts, barley, oatmeal, and buckwheat. On the Iberian Peninsula and in Latin America and Asia, fillers are often made with rice. Sweet variants with sugar, honey, orange peel, and spices are also regional specialties.

Smoked eel, used in soups, salads, sandwiches

Beef sausage

Stippgrütze, also called Wurstebrei, is a German dish from Westphalia which is similar to Grützwurst or Knipp. It consists of barley groats cooked in sausage juices , which are enriched with pieces of meat, offal, such as heart, kidney or liver and seasoned with spices and salt. More rarely, finely chopped onions are added. The cooked ingredients are minced after the juices have been poured off and a crumbly cake is left which is held together with fat and which sets on cooling. There are various recipes, but they all contain barley groats, fat and meat. A classic recipe contains pig offal or heart, belly pork with rind, lard greaves, barley groats, water, salt, pepper, allspice and thyme. The nutrition varies; one portion made from about 300 g of pork and 60 g of groats contains about 850 kJ. Its relatively high fat content means that Stippgrütze keeps well and is often preserved or frozen, so that it can be used over the winter. The season for Stippgrütze begins with the traditional Schlachtfest or country feast in October or November, when the pigs are slaughtered, and lasts until spring.