Saxony-Anhalt

Thin crepe-like pancakes, serve with fruit, jam, Nutella, sugar, cinnamon

Baumkuchen is a kind of spit cake from German cuisine. It is also a popular dessert in Japan. The characteristic rings that appear in its slices resemble tree rings, and give the cake its German name, Baumkuchen, which literally translates to "tree cake" or "log cake". It is disputed who made the first Baumkuchen and where it was first baked. One theory is that it was invented in the German town of Salzwedel, which is further popularized by the town itself. Another theory suggests it began as a Hungarian wedding cake.[citation needed] In Ein neues Kochbuch (lit. "A New Cookbook"), the first cookbook written for professional chefs by Marx Rumpolt, there is a recipe for Baumkuchen. This publication puts the origin of Baumkuchen as far back at 1581, the year the cookbook was first published. Marx Rumpolt had previously worked as a chef in Hungary and Bohemia.[citation needed] Traditionally, Baumkuchen is made on a spit by brushing on even layers of batter and then rotating the spit around a heat source. Each layer is allowed to brown before a new layer of batter is poured. When the cake is removed and sliced, each layer is divided from the next by a golden line, resembling the growth rings in a tree cross-section. A typical Baumkuchen is made up of 15 to 20 layers of batter. However, the layering process for making Baumkuchen can continue until the cakes are quite large. Skilled pastry chefs have been known to create cakes with 25 layers and weighing over 100 pounds (45 kg). When cooked on a spit, it is not uncommon for a finished Baumkuchen to be 3–4 feet (0.91–1.22 m) tall.

Eierschecke is a confectionery speciality from Saxony and Thuringia. It is a layer cake with a base layer of cake, a middle layer of quark-based cheesecake and a top layer of vanilla custard. Parts of it are covered with a glaze made of cream, whole egg, sugar and flour for thickening. The term originates from a piece of 14th century menswear called Schecke which consisted of a medium-length tunic with a very tight waistline and was worn with a Dusing, a hip belt. The cake was named after the appearance of this "tripartite garment" .[citation needed] As the name is derived from a tripartite piece of clothing, Eierschecke consists of three parts or layers: the upper layer is made of creamy stirred egg yolk with butter, sugar, vanilla pudding and, lastly, beaten egg whites, which are folded into the batter. The middle layer (the "belt") consists of a kind of custard which, in addition to butter, egg, sugar and milk, also contains quark and vanilla flavouring. The cake base is either a yeast dough or shortcrust pastry. After these three layers are assembled, the cake is baked, then cut into rectangular pieces and served with coffee. While the recipe above is for the traditional Eierschecke from Dresden, there are also some variations and refinements of this recipe, e.g. the addition of raisins, almonds or Streusel, or even the coating of the whole cake with chocolate. Another variation is the Freiberger Eierschecke, which is much less tall than the Dresdner Eierschecke and contains neither quark nor raisins. Legend states that the quark had been used to build the city wall of Freiberg in the 13th century. To compensate for the alleged loss of flavour, more egg, sugar and even raisins were used. The legend is deliberately nonsensical: dairy products like quark have no history of being used in mortar (unlike sticky rice mortar).

Historically a savory pie made with lark meat, now small apricot marzipan shortcrust pies

Poppy seed cake

Prophet cake, a thin dough cake topped with powdered sugar, commonly made with rum

A cruller is a deep-fried pastry popular in parts of Europe and North America. In Europe it is typically either made of a string of dough that is folded over and twisted twice to create its signature shape or is formed from a rectangle of dough with a cut in the center allowing it to be pulled over and through itself to produce distinctive twists in the sides of the pastry. In North America, it is typically a form of cake doughnut made in a small loaf or simple stick shape or, in the case of the "French cruller", extruded in a ring from choux pastry. Crullers are typically topped with cinnamon sugar, dipped in plain icing, or served plain.

Hops grown in Elbe-Saale, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany

Gose is a warm fermented beer that is usually brewed with at least 50% of the grain bill being malted wheat (with the rest being malted barley such as Pilsner malt), fruit syrups- such as lemon, coriander- and salt - either added or a component of the water used. It acquires its characteristic sourness through inoculation with Lactobacillus bacteria, which is not a hop-tolerant bacteria and which provides only a light acidity. Unlike some beers, such as India pale ales, gose beers typically do not have prominent hop bitterness, flavours, or aroma and have a relatively low alcohol content of 4 to 5% alcohol by volume. Gose was first brewed in Germany. It does not comply with the Reinheitsgebot (German purity laws) because of the use of coriander and salt, but it is allowed an exemption on the grounds of being a regional specialty.

Hasseröder is a brewery in Wernigerode, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. The company started in 1872, founded by Robert Hoppe under the name zum Auerhahn , in the Wernigerode district of Hasserode. In 1882 Ernst Schreyer assumed control of the brewery. In 1896 the brewery became a stock company (Aktiengesellschaft, AG), and in the same year put out 25,000 hectoliters of beer. It was renamed Hasseröder Brauerei in 1920. The brand remained in existence when Wernigerode became part of East Germany after World War II, marketed predominantly in the Magdeburg district. Since reunification, Hasseröder has become the most consumed beer in the new states of Germany. Hasseröder ranks number 6 among Germany's best selling breweries.

Schierker Feuerstein is a German herbal liqueur, a half-bitters at a strength of 35% alcohol by volume , originally produced in the village of Schierke, located in the Upper Harz region of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Due to its red-brown coloration, the liqueur is named after the so-called Feuersteinklippe, a rock formation near the village made of reddish granite. The recipe was developed by the pharmacist Willy Drube (1880–1952), since 1908 proprietor of the chemist's Zum Roten Fingerhut in Schierke, and which was patented in 1924. Initially administered to Harz tourists, the liqueur soon became a big seller until production was discontinued during World War II. By the end of the war, Schierke belonged to the Soviet occupation zone. After the death of Willy Drube in 1952 and the migration of his descendants to West Germany, production was continued at Bad Lauterberg in the Lower Saxon part of the Harz mountain range. From 1972 onwards, Schierker Feuerstein was also produced again at the original place in Schierke, East Germany by a Volkseigener Betrieb ("Publicly Owned Operation", VEB), part of a larger beverages combine (Getränkekombinat) based in Magdeburg.

Wurzelpeter is a Kräuterlikör-type liqueur produced in Germany. It is flavoured with a variety of herbs, bark, and roots: its name references the latter . Production was started in 1935 in Berlin-Mitte by Paul Pöschke and Walter Heyer. The recipe was claimed to be documented as far back as 1875. Pöschke, a cycling enthusiast, organised sponsorship of cycling events by the company. In 1949 Heyer resigned, but the company was leased by Max Finke and continued in operation. From 1961, when Pöschke departed for West Germany, production of Wurzelpeter was taken over by the state enterprise VEB Bärensiegel Berlin in Berlin-Adlershof. This company had its administrative headquarters in Berlin-Lichtenberg, on the Josef-Orlopp-Straße, where there was also a production branch. Wurzelpeter gradually gained some status as a cult drink, and was considered to be the East German counterpart of Jägermeister. With limited production, it had a reputation in the GDR as Bückware, scarce goods available 'under the counter' through bartering or to favoured customers.

A ground meat sauce with tomato paste, onions, that is commonly served with potatoes, beamtenstippe can be either a dark meat sauce or a white roux

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.

The ketwurst is a form of hot dog originated from the German Democratic Republic . The word "ketwurst" comes from a combination of Ketchup and Wurst (German for "sausage"). Its preparation involves the heating of a special Bockwurst, larger than regular hot dogs, in water. A long roll is pierced by a hot metal cylinder, which creates an appropriately sized hole. The sausage is then dunked in ketchup and put inside of the roll. The Ketwurst was invented at the State Gastronomical Research Center — like the Grilletta, a hamburger-like meatball-in-a-bun — around 1977–1978. At that time, restaurants at the Berlin TV Tower were incapable of handling the large numbers of visitors, so a take-away food was needed. It is often considered the archetypical East German fast food, but until German reunification, it was rarely seen outside the city center of Berlin.

Königsberger Klopse , also known as Soßklopse, are a German specialty of meatballs in a creamy white sauce with capers. The dish is named for the former German city of Königsberg (now Kaliningrad, Russia), and is one of the highlights of historical East Prussian cuisine. In the German Democratic Republic (GDR), the dish was officially called Kochklopse ("boiled meatballs") to avoid any reference to its namesake city, which in the aftermath of World War II had been annexed by the Soviet Union. The city's German inhabitants had been expelled, and the city had been repopulated with Russians and other Soviet citizens and renamed after Mikhail Kalinin, a close ally of Joseph Stalin in the Soviet leadership. Königsberger Klopse were jokingly referred to as Revanchistenklopse. Königsberger Klopse are still a popular dish in present-day Germany.

Marinated pork that is spit-roasted over birch

Noodle soup, made with chicken (hühnernudelsuppe), beef (rinder-nudelsuppe)

Stewed pork and dried fruit

Speckkuchen is a type of quiche, a specialty of northern Hesse, Germany. It is a bacon pie/flan with a rye flour crust on the base and made with eggs, and in some villages contains high proportion of leeks or onions. It is popular as a quick snack in Kassel, especially on market days, sold at food stalls and bakeries. As with many regional specialties, every village and every baker has his own Speckkuchen recipe.

Potato dumplings, serve with meat, gravy, rouladen, sweet and sour red cabbage, pork

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.

Hops grown in Elbe-Saale, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany

Jarred sausages made in Halberstadt, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany

Harzer cheese is a German sour milk cheese known for its low fat content and high protein, typically flavored with caraway spice. It has a strong aroma and flavor, and is often found in small round or cylindrical shapes.

A crêpe or crepe is a dish made from unleavened batter or dough that is cooked on a frying pan or a griddle. Crêpes are usually one of two varieties: sweet crêpes (crêpes sucrées) or savoury galettes (crêpes salées). They are often served with a wide variety of fillings such as cheese, fruit, vegetables, meats, and a variety of spreads. Crêpes can also be flambéed, such as in crêpes Suzette. The French term "crêpe" derives from crispa, the feminine version of the Latin word crispus, which means "curled, wrinkled, having curly hair."

Knackwurst (in North America sometimes spelled knockwurst (listenⓘ) refers to a type of sausage of northern German origin from the mid-16th century. The many available varieties depend on the geographical region of their production. The German noun Knackwurst—which, in English, is sometimes corrupted as knockwurst—comes from the German verb knacken (listenⓘ) ("to crack") or the adjective knackig (listenⓘ) ("crisp"). This refers to the swelling of the sausage during the process of cooking, so that the skin becomes pressurized and balloon-like, and tends to "pop", often exploding the juices, when bitten into (authentic example: listenⓘ). (Cf. the British term "banger".) Etymologically, the term "knackwurst" arose in Germany in the middle of the 16th century. In Germany, all different kinds of Knackwürste are abbreviated Knacker (listenⓘ).

Milbenkäse , called Mellnkase in the local dialect and often known as Spinnenkäse ("spider cheese"), is a German speciality cheese. It is made by flavouring balls of quark (a type of soft cheese) with caraway and salt, allowing them to dry, and then leaving them in a wooden box containing rye flour and cheese mites for about three months. An enzyme in the digestive juices excreted by the mites causes the cheese to ripen. Milbenkäse tastes similar to Harzer cheese, but with a bitter note (increasing with age) and a zesty aftertaste. Mites clinging to the cheese rind are consumed along with the cheese. Historically, the cheese was produced in the Zeitz and Altenburg districts of the Saxony-Anhalt / Thuringia border region; today it is produced exclusively in the village of Würchwitz, in the state of Saxony-Anhalt.

Quarkkäulchen is a Saxon dish made from dough containing about two-thirds mashed potatoes, one-third quark cheese, eggs and flour, and perhaps spiced with cinnamon or dotted with raisins. The dough is fried in butter or clarified butter into small pancakes. These are served hot, usually with sugar, fruits or other sweet side dishes.

Rostbratwurst, specifically Nürnberger rostbratwurst, is a small, thin German sausage from Nuremberg, made primarily from pork and seasoned with marjoram and other spices. It is traditionally grilled and served in a bread roll with mustard, often enjoyed as a popular street food in Germany.

Baumkuchen is a kind of spit cake from German cuisine. It is also a popular dessert in Japan. The characteristic rings that appear in its slices resemble tree rings, and give the cake its German name, Baumkuchen, which literally translates to "tree cake" or "log cake". It is disputed who made the first Baumkuchen and where it was first baked. One theory is that it was invented in the German town of Salzwedel, which is further popularized by the town itself. Another theory suggests it began as a Hungarian wedding cake.[citation needed] In Ein neues Kochbuch (lit. "A New Cookbook"), the first cookbook written for professional chefs by Marx Rumpolt, there is a recipe for Baumkuchen. This publication puts the origin of Baumkuchen as far back at 1581, the year the cookbook was first published. Marx Rumpolt had previously worked as a chef in Hungary and Bohemia.[citation needed] Traditionally, Baumkuchen is made on a spit by brushing on even layers of batter and then rotating the spit around a heat source. Each layer is allowed to brown before a new layer of batter is poured. When the cake is removed and sliced, each layer is divided from the next by a golden line, resembling the growth rings in a tree cross-section. A typical Baumkuchen is made up of 15 to 20 layers of batter. However, the layering process for making Baumkuchen can continue until the cakes are quite large. Skilled pastry chefs have been known to create cakes with 25 layers and weighing over 100 pounds (45 kg). When cooked on a spit, it is not uncommon for a finished Baumkuchen to be 3–4 feet (0.91–1.22 m) tall.

Pickled eggs are typically hard-boiled eggs that are cured in vinegar or brine. As with many foods, this was originally a way to preserve the food so that it could be eaten months later. Pickled eggs have since become a favorite among many as a snack or hors d'œuvre popular in pubs, bars, and taverns, and around the world in places where beer is served. After the eggs are hard-boiled, the shell is removed and they are submerged in a solution of vinegar, salt, spices, and other seasonings. Recipes vary from the traditional brine solution for pickles to other solutions, which can impart a sweet or spicy taste. The final taste is mostly determined by the pickling solution. The eggs are left in this solution from one day to several months. Prolonged exposure to the pickling solution may result in a rubbery texture. A common practice is to puncture the egg with a toothpick to allow the pickling solution to penetrate to the egg's interior, but this is dangerous as it can introduce Clostridium into the finished product. Eggs prepared with this method have sometimes had high enough levels of botulinum toxin to cause illness in a human.

Asparagus grown in Walbeck, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany