Main

Birnen, bohnen und speck

Birnen, bohnen und speck ("pears, beans and bacon") 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 ingredients required mean 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 (a kind of bacon). in north german country kitchens, potatoes would also be added, even though they are not specifically mentioned.

Main

Brathering

Brathering (, listen ; english: ″fried herring″) is a simple and traditional german dish of marinated fried herring. it is typical of the cuisine in northern germany and the northern parts of the netherlands, either for lunch or as a snack at fast food stands or take-out restaurants.

Dessert, Sweet

Braune kuchen

Molasses and gingerbread cookies, common during christmas

Dessert, Sweet

Buchweizentorte

Buckwheat gateau or buckwheat torte (german: buchweizentorte) 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.

Dessert, Sweet

Butterkuchen

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 wedding and funerals and, as a result, is sometimes called freud-und-leid-kuchen ("joy and sorrow cake") 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. in germany in the trade, at least 30 parts butter, clarified butter or butterfat must be used to 100 parts of flour.

Main

Buttermilchsuppe

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

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Dithmarscher Kohl

Cabbage grown in dithmarschen, schleswig-holstein, germany

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Erbsen und möhren

Peas and carrots

Main

Fischbrötchen

A fischbrötchen (listen ) (pl. "fischbrötchen", lit. fish bun) 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. the hanover fair was initially colloquially known as the "fischbrötchen fair" due to the fish buns served there as a snack.

Main

Fliederbeersuppe

Elderberry soup, often made with semolina dumplings

Dessert, Sweet

Franzbrötchen

A franzbrötchen (german pronunciation: [ˈfʁantsˌbʁøːtçɛn]) 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.

Main

Frikadeller

Frikadelle are flat, pan-fried meatballs of minced meat, often likened to the danish version of meatballs. the origin of the dish is unknown. the term frikadelle is german but the dish is associated with danish, scandinavian and polish cuisines as well as german cuisine. it is considered a national dish in denmark. they are one of the most popular meals in poland, where they are known as kotlety mielone. in norway, the dish is known as kjøttkaker, and in sweden as pannbiff. there are various local variants of frikadelle throughout scandinavia, as both a main course and a side dish. in sweden, the word frikadeller refers to meatballs that are boiled, not pan-fried.

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Glückstädter Matjes

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 (usually bay leaf), 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. as of 2015, within the eu, dutch made hollandse nieuwe, holländischer matjes and hollandse maatjesharing have tsg certification and german produced glückstädter matjes, produced in schleswig-holstein has pgi certification. as a pickled herring it can form one course of the traditional twelve-dish christmas eve supper in poland.

Dessert, Sweet

Großer hans

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

Main

Grünkohlessen

Grünkohlessen (danish: grønlangkål, dutch: boerenkool) 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. the participants in a kohlfahrt ("cabbage walk") arrange a walk through the countryside to a village pub, usually in mid-winter. often this walk is linked with cross-country games such as boßeln. as fortification against the frosty weather and in preparation for the hearty meal, an ample supply of alcoholic beverages, such as korn, or, for sailors, sherry, is taken in a shopping trolley or handcart, and is handed out as part of the games or at points along the walk (e.g. at crossroads or pylons). at the village pub the merry walkers are served with grünkohl and, depending on the region, with sweet baked potatoes or boiled potatoes and kassler, bregenwurst, pinkel or kohlwurst. in addition there is also a lot to drink: (beer and/or korn) allegedly to aid the digestion. in many areas there is also music and dancing after the meal. the grünkohlessen reaches its climax in the proclamation of the kohlkönig ("cabbage king") or the kohlkönigspaar ("royal cabbage couple"). various methods are used to award the royal title. either the number of portions consumed is added up, the weight of the participants before and after the meal is measured or the results of the games during the walk are used. the kohlkönig is singled out as the last to leave the table. this excludes visits to the toilet and dancing breaks. as a visible sign of royalty, chains with the history of the kohlkönigs of this group or a pig's jawbone with an appropriate inscription are worn. the king or royal couple have the responsibility of organising the following year's grünkohlessen. because many firms, street communities and clubs organise grünkohlessen in the winter months, at popular times (saturdays in january and february) village inns are often fully booked several weeks in advance. one of the biggest grünkohlessen events has taken place since 2007 in hamburg. in the fish auction hall near the st pauli landungsbrücken several regional companies together with the food and drink industry organise a joint event, the grünkohl-schlemmerfest, in which more than 1500 paying guests take part. the defftig ollnborger gröönkohl-äten ("hearty oldenburg kale feast") in berlin, by contrast, is an event run by the political rural conservation group from oldenburg land in the capital city.

Dessert, Sweet

Heißwecke

Currant bun, a yeast roll made with currants, raisins

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Hirtenkäse

Hirtenkäse, or "herder's cheese", is a distinctive cow's milk cheese made in the allgäu area of southern germany. traditionally, cow herders bring their cows from the alps into allgäu each fall in mid-september. september 18 typically "marks the official start of the almabtrieb, or descent, a day celebrated with a festival ...." hirtenkäse is made from the milk from these cows. it is usually aged eight months.

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Holsteiner Karpfen

Cyprinus carpio carp that is farmed in schleswig-holstein, germany

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Holsteiner Katenschinken

Smoked and cured ham, from schleswig-holstein, germany

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Holsteiner Tilsiter

Semi-hard cheese with caraway that is made from cow's milk, from schleswig-holstein, germany

Dessert, Sweet

Honigkuchen

Spice cake sweetened with honey, similar to gingerbread

Main

Kappeler milchsuppe

Milk soup, made with bread, dumplings, sbrinz cheese

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Kieler sprotten

Whole smoked sprats (fish), smoked with beech or alder wood, eaten whole, in soups, salads, on bread, with scrambled eggs, as a side

Dessert, Sweet

Klöben

Fruit bread with candied/dried fruit, nuts and spices

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Kochwurst

Kochwurst is the name given to the german pre-cooked sausage, a class of sausage whose ingredients are largely cooked before the preparation of the sausage meat. the individual ingredients are held together by solidified fat (as in streichwürste or string sausages), gelatine (as in sulz - cured meat in gelatine) or blood proteins coagulated by heating (as in blutwurst or blood sausage). in contrast with cooked sausages (brühwurst), kochwurst does not remain solid on heating, but more or less liquefies. after being filled into intestines, jars or tins, the whole sausage is cooked through again in hot water or steam. in addition to meat, kochwurst often contains also offal like liver or tongue, blood and, in the case of grützwurst, cereal. since the ingredients are easily perishable and kochwurst does not usually last long, it was traditionally made on slaughtering days and is thus a usual ingredient of schlachtplatte. also counted as kochwurst are pies, known as pasteten, which are cooked in square shapes. one speciality are kochmettwürste such as the palatine saumagen, which are referred to as a type of kochwurst. in parts of northern germany (e.g. in schleswig-holstein and hamburg), the term kochwurst is also used to refer to smoked mettwurst and kohlwurst, which is cooked in pots in order to be served as an accompaniment to grünkohl, or to act as a soup ingredient.

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Kohlwurst

Kohlwurst, lungenwurst or lungwurst is a simple, fresh, strongly smoked sausage (rohwurst) made of lights, pork and fat, which is mostly eaten cooked with kale (cabbage) dishes such as knieperkohl. 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). to make kohlwurst, pork (often the remains of the carcass) and fat are minced; then a similar amount of raw, cleaned lights is also minced. it is then all mixed together and, depending on the specific recipe, seasoned with onions, salt, pepper, marjoram, thyme, mustard seeds and allspice. finally the sausage meat is loosely filled in casings of natural intestine and smoked for one to two weeks. kohlwurst is not fried or boiled, but is gently poached with cooked vegetables. comparable sausage types are bregenwurst and pinkel.

Dessert, Sweet

Kopenhagener

Danish pastry

Drink

Korn

Korn (from german, "grain", english "corn"), also known as kornbrand or kornbranntwein (english: "grain brandy" or "grain spirit"), is a german colorless distilled beverage produced from fermented cereal grain seed. in the production of korn only the cereal grain types rye, wheat, barley, oats and buckwheat are permissible. most of the production is based on rye or wheat; barley is mainly used to obtain the required malt for the brewing process, while oats and buckwheat are rarely used. the addition of food colorings, flavorings, or sweeteners is not permitted. korn differs from vodka in that it is distilled to lower alcoholic proofs and less rigorously filtered, which leaves more of the cereal grain flavor in the finished spirit. korn must contain a minimum of 32% abv (64 proof). above 37.5% abv (75 proof) it may be named kornbrand, and the name doppelkorn, with 38% abv (76 proof), has been used in the market. korn is usually consumed neat in shot glasses, but is also popular with a soft drink mixer. in some places, a beer is often ordered together with a kurzer ("short"), i.e., a shot glass of korn. this combination is called in german a "herrengedeck" (literally "gentlemen's place-setting"; english: "boilermaker") in most parts of germany. fruit-flavored products made with korn are available from some korn manufacturers, though they are sold as liqueurs since korn itself cannot be flavored. very strong korn (80% abv / 160 proof) is known as "ansatzkorn" and is typically used to produce home made liqueurs from fruits and herbs, such as zirbenschnaps (liqueur flavoured with stone pine cones) - a practice that is particularly common in alpine regions. such liqueurs are usually diluted to drinking strength before bottling. like other neutral strong spirits, ansatzkorn can also be used as a disinfectant for domestic use.

Main

Krabbenbrötchen

Shrimp rolls

Main

Krabbensuppe

Shrimp soup

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Laugenstange

Long wheat roll with a pretzel-like crust

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Lübecker Marzipan

Lübeck marzipan (german: lübecker marzipan) refers to marzipan originating from the city of lübeck in northern germany and has been protected by an eu council directive as a “protected geographical indication” (pgi) since 1996.the quality requirements of lübeck marzipan are set higher than those of conventional marzipan and are regulated by the ral german institute for quality assurance and classification. for a product to qualify as lübeck marzipan, a product must contain no more than 30% sugar, while the lübeck fine marzipan must contain up to 10% sugar.the marzipan manufacturers of lübeck such as niederegger, carstens, lubeca or marzipan-land, however, follow some principles of quality by voluntary commitments, not required by the directive. niederegger, for example, uses 100% almond paste and no sugar.

Dessert, Sweet

Mandelhörnchen

Chocolate-dipped almond horns, crescent-shaped cookies made with almond flour

Dessert, Sweet

Marzipan

Marzipan is a confection consisting primarily of sugar, honey, and almond meal (ground almonds), sometimes augmented with almond oil or extract. it is often made into sweets; common uses are chocolate-covered marzipan and small marzipan imitations of fruits and vegetables. it can also be used in biscuits or rolled into thin sheets and glazed for icing cakes, primarily birthday cakes, wedding cakes and christmas cakes. marzipan paste may also be used as a baking ingredient, as in stollen or banket. in some countries, it is shaped into small figures of animals as a traditional treat for new year's day or christmas. marzipan is also used in tortell, and in some versions of king cake eaten during the carnival season. traditional swedish princess cake is typically covered with a layer of marzipan that has been tinted pale green or pink.

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Matjes

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 (usually bay leaf), 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. as of 2015, within the eu, dutch made hollandse nieuwe, holländischer matjes and hollandse maatjesharing have tsg certification and german produced glückstädter matjes, produced in schleswig-holstein has pgi certification. as a pickled herring it can form one course of the traditional twelve-dish christmas eve supper in poland.

Main

Mehlbeutel

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

Main

Oyster

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. some types of oysters are commonly consumed (cooked or raw), and in some locales are regarded as a delicacy. some types of pearl oysters are harvested for the pearl produced within the mantle. windowpane oysters are harvested for their translucent shells, which are used to make various kinds of decorative objects.

Main

Pannfisch

Pan-fried fish with potatoes in a mustard sauce

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Pinkel

Pinkel is a smoked kaszanka (german: grützwurst), 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.

Drink

Ratzeputz

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 that 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.until several years ago ratzeputz was distilled in the centre of celle. the reason why the strong smell in the town at weekends has gone is due to the transfer of its production to an industrial estate in westercelle. the sales outlet immediately next to the distillery (between neuer straße and zöllnerstraße) in the town centre has also been closed and the number of different bottle sizes has been reduced. the original products are still easy to obtain, however, at least in celle. a mix of ratzeputz with the herb-based spirit heidegeist under the name 108er is especially common in the lüneburg heath, its name being derived by adding their alcohol contents of 58% and 50% together.there are several bars in germany which specialize in serving ratzeputz, the most notable of which is 'ratzeputz bar' on weserstrasse, neukölln, berlin.

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Räucheraal

Smoked eel, used in soups, salads, sandwiches

Breakfast

Rosinenbrot

Raisin bread (also known as fruit toast in new zealand) 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.

Main

Rundstück warm

The rundstück warm (english: "round piece 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.

Main

Schnüüsch

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

Main

Schwarzsauer

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

Main

Steckrübeneintopf

Steckrübeneintopf (listen ) 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.

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Tilsit

Tilsit cheese or tilsiter cheese is a pale yellow semihard smear-ripened cheese, created in the mid-19th century by prussian-swiss settlers, the westphal family, from the emmental valley. the original buildings from the cheese plant still exist in sovetsk, russia, formerly tilsit, on the neman river (also known as the memel), in the former german province of east prussia.the same ingredients to make the cheese were not available as in their home country, and the cheese became colonized by different moulds, yeasts, and bacteria in the humid climate. the result was a cheese that was more intense and full-flavoured. the settlers named the cheese after tilsit, the prussian town where they had settled.tilsiter has a medium-firm texture with irregular holes or cracks. commercially produced tilsiter is made from pasteurized cow's milk, ranges from 30 to 60% milk fat, and has a dark yellow rind. after the main part of its production, the cheese needs to rest for an additional 2 months. often flavoured with caraway seed and peppercorns, tilsiter is a complement to hearty brown/rye breads and dark beers. it is a common table cheese, yet versatile. tilsit can be eaten cubed in salads, melted in sauces, on potatoes, in flans, or on burgers. using the reimported recipe, tilsiter has been manufactured in switzerland since 1893 and in germany since 1920, where it is known as the protected brand holsteiner tilsiter. swiss tilsiter is mainly produced in three varieties. a mild version (green label) is made from pasteurised milk, a more strongly flavoured one from fresh, unpasteurized milk (red label), and the yellow-labeled "rahm-tilsiter" is produced from pasteurized milk with added cream.after world war ii, when tilsit and the rest of northern east prussia became the soviet kaliningrad oblast district, tilsiter-style cheeses were produced in switzerland and germany. tilsit cheese is now also made in australia, finland, latvia, lithuania, poland, romania, russia, and ukraine, and is marketed in the usa.

Dessert, Sweet

Zuckerei

Kogel mogel (yiddish: גאָגל-מאָגל gogl-mogl; polish: kogel-mogel; norwegian: eggedosis; german: zuckerei; russian: гоголь-моголь gogol-mogol) is an egg-based homemade dessert once popular in parts of europe and the caucasus. 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.

Side, Snack, Appetizer

Zwiebelbrot

Onion bread