Food, glorious food!

One great thing about traveling is experiencing the food! What is important to note when eating the food in a foreign country is to ask and discover if a specialty offered is a specialty of that particular region or something that is ubiquitous. Sometimes you can just put all you eat into the category of that particular country, but this is usually too narrow a view. I learned, for instance, that Camembert cheese, though accessible all over Europe, is the specialty of the Normandy region in which I lived in France. It is important to note this to not only acknowledge the cultural significance, but to note that it will be best in the region the product is from.

Now to the good stuff! What have I found that is particular to Saxony? Well, the Saechsisch Bratwurst, of course! This sausage is lovely in all of its aspects. It has a lovely pop when you bite into it (sorry if that sounds offensive to some; this is what the Germans tell me determines a good sausage) and it is a golden brown color. Most sausages are either served with a slice of American like sandwich bread, or "broetchen" (e after a vowel signifies an umlaut; diction folks know what I'm talking about....) or what we Americans would call a dinner roll. Now, these bread selections are rather small, so your sausage will stick out about three inches on either side, and your skilled sausage seller will carefully squirt a line of Senf (mustard) or ketchup on it. It looks odd and makes the bread a bit awkward to eat, but it's delicious!

Though I have yet to scratch the surface of the cheeses here, what I've had so far has made me a very happy person. I found a Butterkaese or butter cheese. That's right folks - a cheese made with butter. Can someone give the inventor of this treat a medal?

Now, let's talk desserts! I must say, I have not yet learned the name of most of these, so bear with me; there is a lot of ground yet for me to cover... First, I want to note that Germans LOVE ice cream. It doesn't matter that it's freezing out and it's snowing! Oh, no, bring it on! Even outside with hat and gloves, you will find Germans lining up in front of the ice cream cart! I can't IMAGINE the lines once summer hits! In the Beckereis, you will find not only lovely fresh breads, rolls, and pretzels, but donuts (the original, I think...) and lovely pastries. The standard pastries are usually nutty and covered in dark chocolate and cooked with tons of butter, like their French counterparts. It is important to note the content of nuts, as if you have a nut allergy, I recommend staying away from the pastry case here! My favorite is a sort of caramel, nutty triangle dipped in dark chocolate. Oh, yeah! The chocolate here is out of this world! Even the milk chocolate and I'm usually not a fan. I've also had some kind of "Hoern" pastry, also covered in nuts, but sadly not chocolate...

Nutella fans, beware! I have found a rival! It's called Nudossi and it is AWESOME!!! It's much more chocolaty than Nutella, and I don't think it has any hazelnut base. It's just a fantastic chocolate spread!

I could go on about the beer, but everyone knows the beer is awesome in Germany. It's also much cheaper than in other parts of Europe I have been in. I've yet to have wine here, because the beer is too distracting on the menu!

Well, I hope I've whetted your appetite for some German delights! This post has probably made you hungry, so go ahead, raid the fridge!

Guten Apetit!