Bärlauch

Potatoes Potatoes are a staple food in Germany.You’ll find them as a side with almost every traditional dish you order in a restaurant — from schnitzel to sausages and everything in between. The good news? Germans don’t believe in boring spuds. Potatoes are served in a glorious variety of ways: mashed, fried, boiled, baked, roasted (Bratkartoffelen) grated into dumplings, or tossed into hearty salads (Kartoffelsalat). Facts about potatoes Facts about potatoes Potatoes were introduced to Europe from the Americas in the second half of the 16th century by the Spanish. There are more than 5000 varieties available. If you go to any Farmers’ market or Wochenmarkt, you will see a variety of different potatoes, even blue or purple ones. The more starch there is in a tuber, the more floury the potato. New potatoes have the lowest starch content at 12%, whereas the most floury potatoes have 18%. In Germany you get four basic categories: festkochend (waxy), vorwiegend festkochend (medium waxy), mehlig (mealy) and Frühkartoffeln (new potatoes) German stores label potatoes based on these categories with a colored coded strip: green for festkochend, red for vorwiegend festkochend and blue for mehlig. In addition to the main categories, potatoes in Germany are also classified by harvest time. New potatoes (Speisefrühkartoffeln) are harvested before August 1st and are only stored for a short time — up to two weeks. Then there are table potatoes (Speisekartoffeln), harvested after August 1st and suitable for longer storage. The term Speisekartoffeln literally means “eating potatoes,” as opposed to those grown specifically for planting (Pflanzkartoffeln). Avoid potatoes that are sprouting, rotten, or badly damaged — they won’t keep well and may taste off. If a potato has turned green, it might have a slightly bitter flavour; just cut away the green parts before cooking.Also, if you buy potatoes in plastic packaging, be sure to remove them as soon as you get home. Potatoes need to breathe, and keeping them in plastic can cause them to sweat and rot faster. Quick Guide To make things easier, here’s a quick guide to which type of potato works best for each dish.No more guessing — just grab the right spud for the job! Vocabulary There are two classic styles of German potato salad, and they draw a delicious line between North and South.The Southern version (Swabian or Schwäbischer Kartoffelsalat) is cooked in a tangy broth and traditionally served warm — simple, savoury, and full of heart.The Northern version, often referred to as Der Klassiker, is the one many know best: creamy, cool, and made with mayonnaise. Der Klassiker: Potato salad with mayonnaise Ingredients: 1 kg waxy potatoes (e.g. Sieglinde) 1 medium onion finely diced 4 pickles cut into slices 3 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and cut into slices 7 tablespoons of mayonnaise 1 tablespoon medium hot mustard fresh dill, salt, sugar and pepper Getting it done: Boil the potatoes in salted water until tender. Let them cool slightly, then peel and slice them thinly. In a bowl, mix the mayonnaise, mustard, and spices to make the dressing. Once the potatoes have cooled, combine all the ingredients and gently toss them with the dressing. Let the salad sit for at least 30 minutes before serving — this gives the flavours time to come together beautifully. Schwäbischer Kartoffelsalat Ingredients: 1 kg waxy potatoes (ideally Sieglinde) 1 medium onion 60 ml neutral oil (e.g. sunflower or rapeseed oil) 1 tbsp finely chopped chives 300 ml hot vegetable or beef broth 45 ml white wine vinegar (3 tbsp) 10 g hot mustard (2 tsp) Salt, sugar, and black pepper to taste Optional: thinly sliced cucumber, gherkins, or radishes Getting it done: Boil the potatoes in salted water for about 20 minutes until tender. Let them cool slightly, then peel and slice thinly. Finely dice the onion, and briefly bring it to a boil in the hot broth. Remove from heat, then stir in the oil, vinegar, mustard, and season with salt, sugar, and pepper. Pour the warm broth mixture over the potato slices and gently combine. Stir in the chives. Let the salad sit for at least 1 hour to absorb the flavours. Taste and adjust seasoning before serving. Add optional extras if desired. Easy potato salad from Phyllis Ingredients: 500–700 g boiled potatoes, cubed 1 small onion, finely diced 30 ml mayonnaise (2 tbsp) 30 ml olive oil (2 tbsp) 30–50 ml water (adjust to consistency) 1 packet Knorr Salatkrönung – Dill-Kräuter Salt and black pepper to taste Getting it done: In a mixing bowl, combine the mayonnaise, olive oil, water, and Knorr Dill-Kräuter packet. Stir in the diced onions. Add the warm potato cubes and mix gently until well coated Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Serve slightly warm or chilled.

Bis Johanni – nicht vergessen – sieben Wochen Spargel essen! The Asparagus season in Germany starts towards the end of April and ends on the 24th of June (St. John the Baptist Day) Most Germans eagerly await Spargelzeit and they eat around 125 000 tonnes of asparagus each season. It is very important to them to buy only German-grown asparagus. Harvesting asparagus is very labour-intensive, and is mostly done by seasonal workers. Traditionally it is served as a very simple dish, with boiled potatoes, ham and hollandaise sauce. Varieties White and green asparagus are the same vegetable.  Green Asparagus Green asparagus is grown above the ground and is exposed to sunshine “Grassy” Flavour Thinner Stalks Does not need peeling White Asparagus White asparagus is grown under mulch and dark plastic, so it gets very little sunshine and no photosynthesis. Delicate and sweet flavour Stalks are thicker Skin tends to be tougher and needs peeling Buying Stalks should be firm to the touch. Pay attention to the tips (buds). They should be firm and tightly closed. Dry or yellow tips indicate that it is already old. Avoid mushy tips. Purple tips – The colouration happens during a short period when the tip breaks through the soil, catches some sunlight and turns purple as a result, just before it is harvested. The serving size per person is around 500g Asparagus can be bought at farmer’s markets, greengrocers, small stalls along the road or in normal grocery shops.The small stalls along the road often sell strawberries as well, as these are also in season. Grades Asparagus is a delightfully succulent and nutritious vegetable that is highly in demand in Germany. This exquisite veggie is sold by the following grades in Germany. Klassen Extra They are the most expensive but worth the splash. Criteria They are very white, straight and plump and must have a diameter of at least 1.2 cm Klasse I Still pricy but more affordable Criteria Medium-sized with a diameter of at least 1 cm. They can be slightly bent and the tips may be purple. Klasse II They are much cheaper than the other classes Criteria They can curvy and the flower heads may already be open. They are most likely woody. The spears may be damaged. Bio Spargel “Organic” or “bio” asparagus must comply with the EU’s ecological guidelines The green leaf (EU BIO logo) indicates that the Asparagus is produced and sold in accordance with the EU regulations. Storing Asparagus tastes best when cooked on the day you buy it. If you are not going to prepare them on the same day, you could store them in a shallow airtight container in the fridge.You can also store them in the fridge by wrapping them tightly in foil or plastic wrap. They should last 3 – 5 days like that.Others suggest storing them standing up in a glass jar with some water inside (around 2.5 cm – enough to cover the ends). Then loosely cover it with a plastic bag and store it in the refrigerator for about a week. Preparation When preparing white asparagus, get rid of the woody ends. You can either cut them off or break them off. The following video explains how to prepare and cook asparagus.Green Asparagus usually don’t need peeling. White asparagus have thicker stalks and must be peeled. You can buy a special Asparagus peeler (Spargeschäler) to make the job easier. Here is an example of such a peeler on AmazonSome of the bigger shops have machines that peel them for you. Recipes The most classic way to eat white asparagus in Germany is with boiled potatoes, Ham and hollandaise sauce.I love baking them wrapped in foil in the oven (see recipe below or a video here), they taste much better that way. You can also throw them on a braai if you like. A surprising ingredient in most recipes is a bit of sugar, whether you bake them in foil or cook them in water. Delicious recipes can be found on the Essen und Trinken and Chefkoch websites. For English recipes, look on Germanfoods.org and My Dinner for a classic recipe. This method brings out the purest asparagus flavour — rich, tender, and never watery. Ingredients (per packet): 6–8 asparagus spears (1–1.5 cm thick) ½ tsp butter ½ tsp sugar Pinch of salt Aluminium foil (or see alternatives below) Foil Alternatives:Use a lidded baking dish, baking paper packets, roasting bags, or a soaked clay pot (like Römertopf). Oven-Steamed Asparagus in Foil Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan). Peel asparagus and trim the ends. Place two sheets of foil on top of each other. Add butter in the center. Lay asparagus on top, sprinkle with sugar and salt. Fold into a loose pouch (don’t wrap tightly), then fold second foil over the same way. Bake directly on the oven rack for 40–50 min. To check doneness, gently bend the packet — the softer it feels, the more tender the asparagus. Asparagus Road The 120 km long Asparagus road starts in the city of Schwetzingen. They claim to be the “Asparagus Capital of the World” and hold an annual Spargelfest.The route then passes through Karlsruhe, Bruchsal and ends in Rastatt which has the biggest asparagus farm in Europe. Many towns/regions crown an annual asparagus queen (Spargelköningin) who reigns over the festivities. Related content