In Germany, it’s not all about schnitzel and beer. For true “foodies,” the entire year is full of unique culinary highlights and dishes served only for a short time in the proper season. A traveler visiting at any time of the year can join the Germans and tuck into these specialties. Spring: Germans everywhere equate the real coming of spring with Spargel, or white asparagus. Boiled spargel enjoyed by many with just a bit of melted butter, a potato and a slice or two of ham. During Spargelzeit (asparagas time – May through June), cooks get creative with the delicate stalks, offering spargel pasta, spargel soup, spargel casserroles and so on.

A dry white Riesling rounds out the meal. Summer: The Germans consider ice cream a meal of its own. The ultimate ice cream creation is the Fürst-Pückler-Eis from Saxony. Named after the garden- and woman-loving Hermann, Prince of Pückler-Muskau (1785-1871), this strawberry, chocolate, macaroon ice bomb was featured in one of the duke’s love letters to an innkeeper’s daughter. Fall:

In the wine regions along the Rhine, Mosel and Main rivers, the cool evenings of early autumn are perfect for a hot slice of Zwiebelkuchen (onion pie) served up with a frothy glass of Federweißer, wine that’s still fermenting. Federweißer looks cloudy and has a sweet, fruity taste. Christmas: Fruitcake from Dresden, gingerbread from Nuremberg, Baumkuchen from the medieval town of Salzwedel. No German household has Christmas without them. Baumkuchen has a tower of cake rings drizzled in a delicious dark chocolate glaze.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, July 16th, 2008 at 3:10 pm and is filed under Germany. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.