Summer is finally here and it is time to invite friends to kuier around the braai. But before you light your charcoal, check out the rules and regulations that might apply to you.
The following rules are relevant if you live in a rental property:
Am I allowed to grill on the Balcony?
As a tenant you are generally allowed to grill on the balcony, terrace or in the garden.
There is no law prohibiting it. However, landlords can explicitly allow, restrict or prohibit grilling in your rental agreement.
They can also specify if you are allowed to use charcoal.
When am I not allowed to grill?
- When it is stipulated in your rental agreement that you are not allowed to grill on your balcony or in the garden.
- When the smoke from your fire or grill goes into the apartment or home of your neighbours. When this happens you are committing an administrative offence, and you can be fined for it.
These rules are governed by the German Tenants’ Association (DMB). Anyone who disregards these rules risks being warned or even given notice.
It can also result in the termination of your rental contract.
What can I do?
- First of all, read your rental contract and make sure you know what the stipulations are.
- You should always be considerate towards your neighbours,
- Electric grills makes less smoke than a charcoal grill
- If possible, work with aluminium trays.
- Adhere to the applicable quiet periods (Ruhezeiten)
A case that went to court was in 2002 in the district of Essen. The tenant disregarded the rules and ignored warnings and had to move out as a result. (LG Essen, judgment of 07.02.2002, Az .: 10 S 438/01).
Another in Düsseldorf – “A barbecue party with a total of seven guests was organized in the garden of an apartment building. As a result, smoke penetrated through the windows of the neighbouring apartment. Their residents saw themselves on the one hand disturbed by the smoke, on the other hand by the additional noise level. The tenant, who was responsible for the grilling, was consequently fined (OLG Düsseldorf, judgment of 26.05.1995, ref .: 5 Ss (OWi) 149/95 – (OWi) 79/95 I).”
What else do I need to know?
If you are allowed to grill at your home, the smells and noise from a grill party should be tolerated by your neighbours to some extent. Take notice of the quiet periods and make sure to keep noise levels acceptable. These rules are governed by the local municipality
Wood and charcoal
Hard wood that produces a lot of embers with little smoke is the best to grill with. This includes:
- Beech (Buche) and Birch(Birke) wood are suitable for meat and fish dishes. It gives food a smokey flavour.
- Oakwood (Eiche) can also be used, it burns hotter and does not flavour the meat
- Maple wood (Ahornholz ) is suitable for vegetables and fish
- Wild Cherry wood (Wildkirsche) is particularly suitable for pork, veal, poultry and fish
Do not use soft wood like Spruce(Fichte), Fir (Tanne), yew (Eibe), larch (Lärchen) or pine(Kiefer) as these have a high resin content and can make the food bitter. Also avoid using oily wood such as Cedar (Zeder), eucalyptus or Thuja as they can cause health problems
Never use wood that has been treated for example telephone poles or railway sleepers.
Boeries, Biltong and Braai spices
Looking for some tasty South African treats and drinks for your next braai? Check out these businesses selling Boerewors, Biltong, and braai spices. Some even have your favourite SA beverages available!
Die Spens Eindhoven
Die Spens is the largest South African shop in the EU. With more than a 1500 products available from South Africa as well as products from the United Kingdom, Ireland, Zimbabwe, Namibia & Australia. With 2 shops located in the Netherlands: Amersfoort & Eindhoven. Located close to the highway and easily reachable from all over the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. Come and have a look at all the well known South African favourites, like Mrs Balls Chutney, Sparletta Creme Soda, Simba Chips, Ouma Rusks, Koo Sweetcorn, Iwisa Maize Meal, Robertsons spices, Biltong & Boerewors to name a few. You can walk in and shop 7 days a week! Or feel free to shop from the comfort of your own home by using our webshop. We post to all EU countries as well as Norway & Switzerland.
SA.TISFY
Boerewors and biltong made in Luxembourg by South Africans.
Gunii Products
We all long for a taste of home and Gunii offers top-quality Biltong, Droewors and other products the way you remember it. (Online Store Only)
A Taste of Opera
South African online wine shop in Berlin selling the finest wines at the best prices. Order as a gift or simply to enjoy yourself – delivered straight to your doorstep in Berlin. These wines are innovatively paired with opera pieces – similar to a wine and cheese pairing, but with music! Cheers!
Christys Küche
Hi, I’m Christy, a South African living in Düsseldorf since 2018. Prior to leaving SA, I ran my own catering business. I also had my own restaurant, KOMBUIS in Melville, which specialised in traditional SA dishes. Although we love living in Germany, we miss South African food terribly. So, we decided to start our own small business, offering homemade favourites like biltong, chilli bites, bobotie, koeksisters, Hertzoggies etc. I can also cater to special requests, e.g. for dinners or get-togethers. Unlike other conventional retail stores or restaurants, we don’t have the space or resources to hold stock… at least, not yet! So, we make our food on order. Our turnaround is anything from 1-5 days depending on the item (e.g. biltong needs to hang for 5 days). Our customers can text, call, or email their order, and we give them a timeframe and arrange collection/delivery. At present we are catering to the Düsseldorf area only, to guarantee freshness and avoid additional shipping costs and risks.
Kiefer Cuisine
At Kiefer, it is important to us to bring the authentic taste of South African gourmet biltong to the German community. After living in South Africa for over 30 years, Stefan has developed a famous authentic South African taste. Our biltong is made from the finest cuts of meat, seasoned with a blend of spices and air-dried to perfection. We take great pride in our craft and strive to bring you biltong of the highest quality. To order Traditional Boerewors, Droëwors, Chillie bites, sliced biltong or biltong sticks, visit our online shop
Cape33
We carefully select unique and quality products from the Cape region of South Africa and make these available in the EU market. Our current product range include: Funky Ouma spices, Prince Albert Olive Oil Kleinbergskloof Olive Oil
Runder Biltong
Runder Biltong is a young owner-run company, based on the outskirts of Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Owners Kyle and Wesley, a South African and Dutch duo have been in operation for 2 years now and have seen an extremely positive response to their products and service. Runder sell via their e-commerce website Runder.nl to customers and businesses across the EU. We have seen a huge increase in orders from Germany over the last year. We stock a full house of biltong products made in-house with 100% Hollandse vlees. You can order whole slabs of fatty or lean biltong. Bags of sliced biltong and we make snap sticks, droëwors, and delicious biltong dust. We also offer biltong knives and some cool merchandise. We focus on making authentic South African-style biltong that will take you on a flavour adventure back to South Africa. For those who have not traveled to South Africa and experienced the biltong culture, well, here is a taste of that available right here in Europe. We pride ourselves on an excellent personal customer experience and also fast delivery. Usually delivery into Germany takes up to 4 days from date of sending.
Mopani Braai
South African meat and sausage specialities made in Germany My motto in life is “Love goes through ones stomach”. I plan to devote more time to making a difference and let love go through many experiences of my valued customers. As a passionate chef, I completed my profile and studies with a German examination in culinary cooking. During my studies to become a Chef at Feinkost-Käfer, I always enjoyed the journey but deep down I missed something, I missed my culture and felt that I needed to bring it into my South African style and outdoor culinary culture to my new adopted country. South Africans prefer meat and especially beef as a first choice protein source. So I started to experiment with drying meat and joined efforts with a butcher with more than forty years’ experience. He taught me the art of de-boning, fileting and cleaning. I got shown which part of the animal gets used for what purpose. Also I learnt how to make sausages, the correct working methods, curing temperatures plus the highest standards of hygiene. It came naturally to me to start experimenting more and more with South African biltong and droëwors. We were having fun while creating some of the most tasty, delicious biltong and droëwors batches. I was starting to live my dream and the butcher needed no encouragement to experiment with different methods and spices. We got to a wonderful taste of biltong – we were ready to start sampling and tasting.
Where to buy meat
German and South African meat cuts are not similar. On our Meat and Fish page we explain the German cuts, and listed some shops that sell meat online.
Meat
German meat cuts are different from those in South Africa. South Africa tends to follow the British way of cutting meat.Below is a explanation of the German Beef Cuts German beef cuts Rinderhals, Kamm or Nacken (Chuck steak) Querrippe (Short ribs) Rinderbrust (Brisket) Hochrippe or Fehlrippe (Standing rib roast) Vorderrippe or hohes Roastbeef Rostbraten or flaches Roastbeef5. & 6. together are the Roastbeef or Zwischenrippenstück Filet (Fillet) Spannrippe or Knochendünnung Dünnung or Bauchlappen (flank steak) Falsches
Where to shop for a grill and accessories
- Some of the most popular brands are Campingaz, Weber, Burnhard and Grill Fürst
- You can buy equipment and accessories at shops like OBI, Hornbach
- Vuur en rook in the Netherlands
- Ons gaan Braai in the Netherlands
Potjie
The following online shops sell Potjies:
- Die Spens
- Ons gaan Braai and Vuur en rook in the Netherlands
- Amazon.de
Recipes
Related content
Swimming in Germany
Swimming options Private swimming pools are not so popular in Germany, but there are good public swimming options available. Public swimming pools / Öffentliche Schimmbäder / Freibad Freiseitparks like Europapark Baggersee (Man-made lakes) Lakes The ocean / Nordsee or Ostsee Rules for swimming in Lakes Never dive/jump into a lake without knowing the depth of the water first. Many lakes are quite shallow, especially near the shore. Bring a sun umbrella or some form of shelter, and of course sunscreen. Bring swimming shoes or flip-flops, to avoid stepping on broken glass or other sharp objects that may be there. Don’t stay in the water too long. Children sometimes don’t realise how cold they are and lakes may remain quite cool, even in summer. Bring plenty of towels to dry off after your swim. Bring warm clothes for after your swim Bring a picnic, some lakes have benches and tables, but not all do, so bring a big blanket to sit on. Toilets are often available near the lakes. Food stalls sometimes have ice cream or snacks. Just be careful, sweets, drinks, beer, etc. attract insects (bees and wasps) Most facilities will allow smoking and alcoholic drinks, check for signs prohibiting. Some lakes do have currents and undertows – don’t overestimate your ability, stay close to shore if you are not a strong swimmer. Careful with floating mattresses, toys, etc. Water toys do not keep children as safe as watchful eyes! Be careful with your alcohol intake. WATCH YOUR KIDS – many lakes do not have lifeguards patrolling the area. Your kids are your own responsibility! In an emergency call the national emergency number – 112 Tidbits to know Nude sunbathing is allowed in some areas around lakes Look out for FKK (Freie Körper Kultur) Zone. At public pools swimwear is obligatory Freibad does not mean for free Sommerbad means it is only open in the summer Bring coins with to public pools to make use of the lockers Some public pool facilities have hair dryers that you can use (not free) You are expected to shower before and after using a public pool Wear swimming shoes or flip flops at the pool Public pools are mostly overcrowded. Opt for indoor pools in summer if you only want to swim Some areas in pools are restricted to those who cannot swim, for example children still learning to swim No toys are allowed in public pools Food and drinks can be bought at most public pools The ground of the grass areas around lakes are usually a bit damp, so if you take a picnic blanket make sure it is lined. (Picknickdecke Wasserdicht) Related content
Grilling in public
When you do not have braai facilities at home or want to have more space while meeting your friends for a braai, you can use the grills/fireplaces at a public Grillplatz/grill area.These are usually in bigger parks or around lakes. Grilling in the forest is generally prohibited with some exceptions. Personally, I would refrain from grilling in the forest even if there is a Grillplatz. The trees and other plants can be very dry in summer and there is always a fire hazard. My first public grill was at the Grillplatz in Lonetal near Ulm.It is part of a hiking trail. We walked back after dark and there was a beautiful full moon. The woods were full of glowworms, it was really magical. Previous Next Why can I not grill where I want? Disposable grills damage the grass, and when the grass is very dry the heat will damage the lawn. This can also lead to runaway fires. Finding a designated grilling spot You can search the internet for “Grillplätze in öffentlichen Grünanlagen” or just “Grillplätze in YourTown”The following websites offer a list of public grill stations per town: Grillplatz.org Grillplatz360 Here are websites for some of the more popular towns. The town-specific rules are sometimes also listed on these websites. Berlin Hamburg Stuttgart Münich Frankfurt Leipzig Ulm You can also just look for the signposting in public areas to see if grilling is allowed. If there are no clear indications or signs indicating that grilling is permitted, you can assume that it is forbidden. Common rules As with most things in Germany, grilling in a public space is regulated.These rules are based on common decency and respect.Rule of thumb – if it doesn’t explicitly say grilling is allowed, you can assume it is not allowed. Each federal state (Bundesland) or town has its own rules, so please make sure you know what the rules are for the area in which you want to grill.Violations of these rules of the “Police Ordinance on Public Security and Order” are considered an administrative offence and may result in a warning or fine (see how much here). Here are some common rules: You cannot reserve a grill area/braai. Most public grills are big enough to be shared by groups. Only grill in designated areas. Do not dig your own grill pit or damage the lawn. Make sure you know if you are allowed to bring along your own grill or whether you are only allowed to use the permanently installed fireplaces/grills. Take note you are not allowed to use disposable grills or Einweggrills. The fire must be supervised by a suitable person at all times. The fire must be extinguished completely after you finished grilling. Dispose of all waste, this includes ashes. Most grill areas will have a bin designed for hot ashes. Grilling under trees or in the immediate vicinity of woody plants and on horticultural surfaces is not permitted (in the interest of protecting trees and birds). The grass must not be damaged. Only commercially available charcoal and lighters may be used. Flames may not exceed a height of one meter. Tips You might need to register at the town hall to make use of a grill area. Please leave the area clean and take all food scraps with you Do not make any fire on the lawn or in the gardens The number for the Fire brigade is 112 Music Playing music in parks and green spaces in the city is generally permitted.It should not disturb anyone.Most parks have a quiet period from 10:00 pm to 6:00 am Terminology Wild-Grillen – meint hier das unerlaubte Grillen auf Flächen für die laut Parkverordnung oder Naturschutzgesetz ein Grillverbot gilt.– means unauthorized grilling in areas where grilling is prohibited – according to the Park Ordinance or Nature Conservation Act. Grillen verboten – Grilling not allowed der Grillplatz – Grill area Related content
Making your own Biltong
There are many recipes and tips on the internet on how to make your biltong.We want to share some basics here as well as some tips from our FB members You will need the following: Suitable Meat Spices and vinegar Suitable place to hang the meat to dry Step 1 – Buy suitable meat The best cuts are sirloin or fillet.In Germany you can ask for Silverside( Tafelstück or Tafelspitz) or Topside (Schale) .You can get more information about the German cuts here. Step 2 – Prepare your meat Remove excess fat, but leave some fat for extra flavour.Don’t cut the slices too thick or they will take too long to dry.Roughly 20cm in length and 1cm in thickness is ideal.Remove any gristle/sinew. Step 3 – Baste and Season This is a very basic recipe, some add Worcestershire sauce to the vinegar and sugar to the spices.Below are some links to other recipes. 1/3 Salt 1/3 Pepper 1/3 Coriander Brown Vinegar Place the meat in a sealable container. Marinate the meat for at least 3 hours in the Fridge Pat the meat dry and cover with the seasoning. Let it stand for at least an hour, then hook and hang it to dry Step 4 – Drying The weather conditions in Germany are not optimal for dry biltong and you will therefore have to either build or buy your own dryer.You can find easy instructions on how to make a Biltong box from Ben Kruger’s YouTube channelIt is important that your meat is well aired and that it does not touch against each other.Space your meat well Resources on the Internet: Resepte vir oud en jonk Pick and Pay Biltong spices The following shops sells Biltong spices Biltong The following shops sells Biltong Related content
You must be logged in to post a comment.