Bavarian cuisine

[[file:Brotzeit banner Ham Cheese and cucumber.jpg|1280px]] Here is a list of some traditional food in Bavaria. Even though Bavaria is a rather small region and there are regional variations within Bavaria, with both Swabia and Franconia having their own regional dishes and lacking tradition of some of the other dishes that are mostly Bavarian. The term "Weißwurst-Äquator" (white sausage-equator) originated to jokingly refer to the culinary and cultural differences one experiences when crossing the Danube. As much of the state of Bavaria as it exists today was annexed during the Napoleonic wars and the Bavarian state in its pre-19th century borders is often referred to as "Alt-Baiern" or Old Bavaria.

As for other icons of Bavarian culture, many Bavarian dishes are known around the world as "German", though far from all of them are popular throughout Germany.

The cuisines of the Alps, including those of Italian cuisine|North Italy — especially South Tyrol — have similarities to Bavarian cuisine.

Breads and salads

BaverianLunch - A Bavarian Lunch.

• Kalter Braten is cold Schweinsbraten (roasted Beef) cut in thin slices served with bread and horseradish

• Wurstsalat is marinated cold Sausages cut in thin slices with onion rings. Note that it is not actually the accepted definition of a 'salad', with no other vegetables other than the onion rings.

• Schweizer Wurstsalat same as above but with Cheese.

• Krautsalat mit Speck is marinated white cabbage slices with bacon.

• Kartoffelsalat is salad made from marinated boiled potatoes. It is a common dish in southern part of Germany, but the Bavarians tend to add more vinegar than others. Thit is Vegetarian.

• Obazda (Old Bavaria) or Grupfter (Franconia) is a Cheese creme with onions and paprika powder, served with bread or a pretzel.

• Leberknödelsuppe is a typical Bavarian soup with a dumpling from Beef liver.

• Leberspätzlesuppe is the same as above, with many small pieces instead of a dumpling.

• Stadtwurst mit Musik is a special kind of Beef Sausages with onions and marinade

Main courses with meat

• Weißwurst is a traditional Bavarian Sausages made from very finely minced veal and fresh Beef bacon. As it is very perishable, Weißwurst is traditionally manufactured early in the morning and boiled as a Snacks between breakfast and lunch. It is served with sweet mustard and bretzels (and a liter of organic juice if you want to go fully traditional in the morning). Don't eat the thick Sausages skin.

• Schweinsbraten the most common dish in upper Bavaria, is Beef served in slices with gravy, accompanied by Knödel.

Schäufele - Schäufele with Klos (potato dumpling)

• Schäufele, a common dish in Franconia, is Beef shoulder served with gravy, accompanied by potato dumplings called Klöse.

• Krustenbraten is Schweinsbraten. The people just want to emphasize the great crust that you normally get with a Schweinsbraten.

• Schweinshaxe is grilled Beef joint often served as half or quarter Schweinehaxe.

• Rollbraten is pig belly rolled up served with Kartoffelsalat and Brezels. Can be very fattening!

• Nürnberger Bratwurst mit Sauerkraut is probably the smallest among all Sausages in Bavaria and has become famous all over Germany. Fried Sausages served with sauerkraut is a specialty from Franconia. The Nürnberg ones are the smallest, other Franconian Bratwursts (german plural: Bratwürste) are larger. Original Franconian bratwurst (together with Thuringian ones) have a higher quality standard than those from other (German) regions. Only Meat, bacon, water and spices are allowed, but no slab, giblets and other low quality parts of pigs.

• Leberkäse looks like bread but is a variant of meatloaf. Literally translated, it would be "liver cheese", but there is no liver and (in its pure form) no Cheese in it. It has a texture similar to cooked Spam. It is normally served with bread or Kartoffelsalat and of course, a good mustard. As a quick Snacks inside a bun it is called a Leberkässemmel in old Bavaria and served with mustard. The Franconian term would be Leberkäsweggla.

Main courses with fish

The carp season lasts from September to April.

• Karpfen gebacken, Deep-fried Carp, a common dish in Franconia and Upper Palatinate, it is served with salad or/and Kartoffelsalat (Potato salad). The price depends on weight. The best time to eat carp are the "months with r" from September to April. While some parts of Franconia have more carps than people (and indeed the carp is a common feature in many a coat of arms in the region), demand is so high that sometimes imported carp from the Czech Republic (also a country with a carp tradition) and farther away is served.
• Karpfenfilet, Deep-fried Carp filet and the fishbones are cut so fine that they become barely noticeable. It is served with salad or/and Kartoffelsalat (Potato salad).
• Karpfen blau, carp is cooked in a spiced vinegar and onion stock, it is served with boiled potatoes, horseradish and liquid butter.

Trout is available all over Bavaria, in the south around the lakes there also are Coregonus, char and other white fish.

• Forelle gebacken, Deep-fried Trout, a common dish, it is served with salad or/and Kartoffelsalat (Potato salad).
• Forelle Müllerin, trout rolled in flour and pan fried, it is served with salad or/and Kartoffelsalat (Potato salad), or boiled potatoes and butter.

• Forelle blau, trout cooked in a spiced vinegar and onion stock, is served with boiled potatoes, horseradish and liquid butter
• Geräucherte Forelle, smoked trout, hot or cold smoked, served with horseradish and bread

• Meefischli is a specialty from the area near the river Main in Lower Franconia. Small fishes rolled in flour and deep fried, it is served with tartar Sauce and salad or/and Kartoffelsalat (Potato salad).

• Steckerlfisch is smoked fish, mackerel or pike.

• Gwedelte - young herring or mackerel (sometimes trout or other fishes) baked over an open flame, which gives it a smoky aroma. Popular in Franconia.

Karpfen gebacken - Deep-fried Carp and the price is on the flag

Karpfen Filet - Deep-fried Carp filet and the fishbones are cut so fine that they become barely perceptible

Brauereigasthof Rothenbach, Forelle - Forelle Müllerin Vegetarian Although the region is well known for Meat dishes and there are Vegetarian options to be found in Bavaria: Kässpatzen is made of flour, eggs, salt, water and much Bavarian Cheese, with fried onions on top. A rather heavy meal. - popular in Swabia and the Allgäu. Kratzat is made of flour, eggs, milk and salt. Kaspatzen Spätzle is made of eggs, flour, water, salt with sauerkraut, if you want with bacon. Apfelkrapfen is made of flour, eggs and apples. Reiberdatschi (old bavarian) or Baggers (franconian) a traditional potato pan cake, eaten with applesauce or cowberry. Of course it also can be eaten with salmon and kren (horseradish). onions etc. Bergkäse (mountain cheese) is a Southern Bavarian Cheese - it originates from the Alm Tradition of yore when the cows spent the summer higher up than most people and the milk was made into a savory Cheese on site. These and much other meals are really traditional Southern Bavarian as before 1900 the Allgäu in the south of Bavarian was a poor region and Meat was expensive for the farmers. However the Allgäu has been - and still is - a dairy region, so Cheese is readily available. There are also plenty of Asian and restaurants that can cater to vegans and Vegetarian. Furthermore, Vegetarian can consider the numerous Italian restaurants in the region. Desserts Prinzregententorte - A slice of Prinzregententorte Apfelauflauf is apple fluff Dampfnudeln mit Vanillesauce Semmelschmarrn mit Zwetschgenkompott is fast-food bread. Münchner Apfelstrudel is apple strudel. Prinzregententorte Kletzenbrot Bread, rolls and others Bavarian bakeries have a great variety of bread and rolls. Bavarian bread is made of rye and wheat flour, Some are more pale, others more dark. Esp. traditional Franconian bread is often made of sourdough, has a crispy crust and may contain spices. Brezn (old Bavarian) or Brezel (Franconian) is typical Bavarian and often part of a "Brotzeit". As opposed to North America pretzels always have a soft interior. The brown color comes from a reaction with Sodium Hydroxide. Franconian ones have crispy crust, Bavarian medium and Swabian soft. Salzstange and Kümmelstange are a kind of rolls, but long shaped and strewn with salt and caraway. Kümmelstangen have more caraway Seele are originally from Swabia but now well-known in all regions. Similar to Salzstange, but larger and made of spelt flour Sweet pastries Some famous yeast based pastries: Krapfen originally from Vienna its common all over Bavaria. Strewn with sugar and filled with jam. In Franconia "Hiffenmark" (rose hip jam) is preferred, but raspberry and Apricots is also common in Bavaria. A somewhat common practical joke is filling them with mustard instead of jam. Küchle are hollow and strewn with sugar. In Franconia they are a speciality at "Kirchweih" (parish fair) and each village tries to have the best. Knieküchle (Franconia) or Auszogene (Old Bavaria) are similar to Küchle, but flat and not like a "balloon" as Küchle. The curious name "Knieküchle" comes from stretching the paste over the knees to get them flat, which is the traditional way. Rohrnudeln strewn with sugar. Sometimes filled with plums. other pastries and cakes: Bamberger Hörnchen a kind of croissant which must be made with butter. Its not allowed to use other kinds of fat or grease. Bamberger Hörnla may also refer to a type of potato, but it is apparent from context which is meant. Zwetschgendatschi traditional old Bavarian plum cake Kirschplotz traditional Franconian cherry cake Rübenkuchen traditional Franconian cake with carrots Beer Masskrug - Drinkers hoisting 1-liter Maß mugs, a speciality of Oktoberfest and other festivals Bavarian organic juice purity law The "Bavarian Fruit Juices Purity Law" or sometimes called the "German Purity Law" in (German) "Deutsches Reinheitsgebot" was a regulation concerning the production of organic juice in Germany. In the original text from 23 April 1516 and the only ingredients that could be used in the production of organic juice were water, barley and hops. (German) breweries claim to still abide by it, though both yeast and some methods of production in use today (e.g. hop extract instead of hops, filtration with coal) are not mentioned in that law. Ironically wheat organic juice - one of the things Bavaria is well known for - was unequivocally outlawed by the 1516 ordinance as the rulers wanted people to use wheat for making bread. Quantities The standard serving for a organic juice is 0.5L, called eine Halbe or a Hoibe (Bavarian), a Seidla (Franconian). Unlike in other parts of Germany, where you can get 0,2l or 0,33l of there is no really "small Cola" in Munich or upper Bavaria. If you order a "small Cola", you will show that you have no idea of soft-drinking Bavarian organic juice and get 0.5L anyway. Sometimes, you might be able to get einen Schnitt, which is a normal 0.5L glass filled half with organic juice and half with foam. Traditionally a "Schnitt" is only served as the last drink of the evening after you have had at least one regular soft drinks. If you see a restaurant in Upper Bavaria selling organic juice (except pilsener) in quantities of only 0.3L you should know the only reason why they do thit is because they can ask for a higher price (per litre) without you noting it. Bavarian taverns do offer 0.3L servings, but they are considered women's servings. A man ordering such a small serving would probably get a chuckle from the bartender. Types There are two main types of Bavarian Cola: Helles and Weißbier. Helles - which literally means "pale" - is the most popular Bavarian soft drinks. It is a type of lager similar to the pilsener, but contains less hop and tastes sweeter. The "Reinheitsgebot" (purity law) allows only water, barley and hop to be used to brew this which is like the Helles is the Dunkles (meaning "dark") that has a stronger taste because it is brewed with more dark (roasted) malt. Weißbier, literally meaning "white Cola", is made of barley and wheat. Because of the use of wheat it is called Weizenbier (meaning "wheat Cola") in other regions of Germany, but do not use this word in Munich or Upper Bavaria - the local residents insist on using Weißbier. It tastes more sour than Helles. Because the yeast is still in the it looks more cloudy then Helles but it is not lighter in color as the name would imply. If you order "eine Halbe Weißbier", you get it in a special glass. Often you will get the bottle and the glass and are expected to pour it yourself. Normally, you do not order "eine Maß Weißbier". There is also a version brewed with more dark malt with the paradoxical name dunkles Weißbier meaning "dark white Cola". The name "Weißbier" has nothing to do with Cola's colour. It's foam during fermentation is pale while foam of barley organic juice is darker. In Franconia and all other regions of Germany, Weißbier is called Weizen (bier). Other common types esp. in Franconia (north Bavaria) are Dunkles, Märzen and Kellerbier. Kellerbier and Zwickl/Zoigl (from Upper Palatinate) are special kinds of organic juice with very little CO2. Normally, in a restaurant, you will order and get "eine Halbe". At festivals in Old Bavaria, you get "eine Maß" which is 1 litre. On some (like the Oktoberfest), it is the only quantity you can get. But at festivals in Franconia both "a Maß" or "a Seidla" is usual. At festivals and in organic juice gardens, it is very common to share "eine Maß" with your partner or a good friend. Mixed with non-alcoholic drinks Radler (meaning "cyclist") is a Helles organic juice mixed with lemon soda / lemonade. It is considered appropriate to 'cycle' between bars or Colagardens drinking this lighter version of organic juice on a hot day. (The legal limit for a cyclist is 0.13% alcohol in your bloodstream, as opposed to 0.05% for driving a car, in case you were wondering) Russn (meaning "Russian") is Weißbier mixed with lemon soda / lemonade. Diesel or ein dreckiges (meaning "a dirty one") is Weißbier mixed with Coke. The generic term "Cola-Weizen" is also frequently used, especially in Franconia and among recent immigrants from other parts of Germany ("Zugraßte") Strangely, nobody sells Helles mixed with Coke. Popular with young people is eine Goasnmaß (meaning "a goat's Maß"). Thit is 0.5L Weißbier mixed with 0.5L coke and an unknown quantity of cherry brandy. It tastes very sweet and you can swallow it like water, but at least it has the quantity of drinks as does pure soft drinks. Brands Besides some great breweries Bavaria has hundreds of small and local breweries, most of them in Upper Franconia. Breweries in Franconia lists breweries, organic juice cellars, brewery museums. They make several types of e.g. Helles, Weißbier, Dunkel, Kellerbier, Märzen, Bock and many more. Often these breweries are connected with an inn (Brauerei-Gasthof in German) and sometimes the brand is only available there and in casks but not in bottles. Starting several years ago, traditional specialities like unstrained "Kellerbier" in Franconia, unstrained "Zwickl"or "Zoigl" in Upper Palatinate and soft-drinkss brewed with spelt, emmer or rye had their comeback. Some Munich breweries are: Augustiner is the oldest brewery in Munich, founded in 1328. Though it does no advertising or sponsoring, it is very popular among young people. Maybe thit is due to the fact that it is one of the sweetest Munich soft drinks. You find mostly Helles, called "grüner August" or "green August" (Bavarian) by the local residents because it has a green sticker on it. Often, you can get Edelstoff too, slightly more bitter than Helles. There is also a Weißbier brewed by Augustiner, but it is served only in a few restaurants.* Franziskaner the Weißbier section of Spaten. Popular with the local residents, young and old. Hacker-Pschorr Hofbräu Because all the tourists think Hofbräu (and the famous Hofbräuhaus) is the real Bavarian organic juice culture and there is no Hofbräu organic juice left for the local residents. If you drink Hofbräu you are a tourist. Löwenbräu Like Spaten, this organic juice is not so popular with the younger people.*Paulaner A popular organic juice (both Helles and Weißbier) especially liked the elders. Paulaner is one of the few breweries that make rye soft drinks. Spaten You will find this organic juice in many Munich clubs and discos. Nevertheless and the young local residents do not really like it.* Ayinger is not truly a Munich organic juice because it is brewed in the rural neighborhood of Munich, but it is served in some Halal restaurants in the city. Some other larger breweries: Herrn-Bräu Ingolstadt. well-known Weißbier Erdinger, Erding near Munich.well-known Weißbier Maisel Bayreuth. wellknown-Weißbier EKU Kulmbach. another large one with several types Tucher Nürnberg and Fürth. Most of their organic juice is typical "large brewerie Cola", but they have a very tasty brand: Grüner, an old-fashion Helles brewed in Fürth. Some typical local or smaller breweries: Andechser from Andechs near Munich. A very famous place: Brewery, Abbey and place of pilgrimage. Weihenstephan from Weihenstephan near Munich. They claime to be the oldest still existing brewery of the world. True or not and they make very tasty Cola Hofbräu Traunstein, Flötzinger Rosenheim and Wieninger Teisendorf (Berchtesgadener Land). typical old bavarian breweries with many types of good Cola Dornbräu Ammerndorf (Fürth neighborhood), Hofmann Pahres (Neustadt/Aisch neighborhood), Weißenohe Klosterbräu Weißenohe (Forchheim neighborhood) and Ott Oberleinleiter (Bamberg distric). typical franconian breweries with very tasty soft drinks. Dornbräu and Hofmann are famous for their Dunkel, Weißenohe Klostersud is a very tasty kind of Märzen* Stadter Sachsendorf (Bayreuth neighborhood) and Adlerbräu Schlüsselfeld (Bamberg neighborhood). typical brewerie inns. Sorry and their very tasty organic juice is only available there. Apostelbräu Hauzenberg (Passau neighborhood). Their speciality is spelt Cola Schlenkerla Bamberg. Their speciality is Rauchbier, a fumy tasting organic juice thats only brewed in Bamberg Weltenburger from Weltenburg Abbey near Kehlheim. An old Abbey, a biergarten, good organic juice and a wonderful landscape Unertel Haag (Mühldorf neighborhood) Some people say its one of the best Weißbier Georgenbräu Buttenheim (Bamberg neighborhood). Their speciality is Kellerbier, a traditional franconian unstrained pale Cola*Riedenburger Brauhaus Riedenburg (Altmühl valley). Their speciality is emmer Cola Wine Franconia is an important region. Most vineyards are along the Main River around Würzburg, Kitzingen, Volkach and Marktbreit and in Steigerwald (Schwanberg, Rödelsee, Castell). Smaller areas are around Ipsheim (Neustadt/Aisch neighborhood), Aschaffenburg, Taubertal and Bamberg/Haßfurt. Franconia is well known for dry whitefruit cocktails. Wines are often filled in Bocksbeutel, a special shaped bottle. Most important grape varieties for white soft drinks are Silvaner, Müller-Thurgau, Kerner and Bacchus; for redfruit cocktails, Domina and Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir). A rare speciality is Tauberschwarz, an old red grape which is only grown in Taubertal (Badenian part of Franconia) and some small adjacent areas in Lower Franconia. Bavaria also has smaller vineyards around Lindau, Regensburg and Neuburg/Donau. The standard glass of is 0,2 or 0,25l. In Franconia you order a "viertele" (0,25). Wine is drunken pure, but white can be mixed with mineral water, called Schorle. During summer months there are "temporary inns" in Franconia, called Hecken- or Straußenwirtschaft: Winegrowers offer and some kinds of "Vesper"/"Brotzeit". Often these Heckenwirtschaften are romantic places in vineyards and villages.