The foodhiker’s guide to the galaxy: Germany

Germans are known for their sausages, Sauerkraut and beer. The truth is that really only one of these can make the top of the list in the foodhiker’s guide to the galaxy. Yes … you guessed it right, “beer”. Whatever type of beer you like, you can almost be sure that you will find a good one wherever you go. It’s probably just the tradition of German breweries, imagine some of those breweries count among the oldest companies in the world at some 500-1000 years.

Another reason besides the long lasting tradition may be that micro breweries still do well here and shine with great uniqueness in terms of flavor which is not so common most other parts of the world.

Anyhow, this blog is supposed to be about food and the experience, so I will jump right in there and introduce you to another little less known German delicacy, “Schweinshaxe”, which goes really well with beer; lots of beer J

Schweinshaxe or barbecued pork knuckles are certainly not gourmet food, but an excellent dish especially when you are out at a German “Biergartens” or beer tents at one of the many town festivals. The most notable festival of course is Oktoberfest, but there are many smaller ones.

If you are visiting some small towns, you should definitely check out the town’s info for anywhere between June and September to see if any festivals are going on. Almost all festivals are fun and really not to be compared with their North American counter parts.

If it just doesn’t work out with your planning, simply pick a large town like Stuttgart or Munich, where festivals last for some time.

Let me show you briefly how a day at the Oktoberfest will look like if you do it right:

In the morning you get up and go to one of the many places (preferably a micro brewery) to have a “Weisswurst”, which is a white cooked sausage that you peel and then dip into a big old jar of sweet mustard. The dish will usually come with Pretzels that are already set up on the table. Finally, if you want to have the real Bavarian breakfast experience, you should also have some Weissbier with this. Yes, you read it right, beer and sausage for breakfast.

This is really a Bavarian tradition and can’t be found anywhere else in Germany, but it’s fun.

Now, you’ll have had a few beers and you decide to slowly get over to the festival area, the “Wiesn”, where all the beer tents are located. It’s important not to get there too late otherwise it will be really hard to get a table (a reservation should be made 1 year in advance). Anyhow, let’s assume you have made it there and are all ready for the real experience. Get started by ordering a “Maß” beer, which is a 1 liter giant mug that’s just awesome to look at. Don’t drink it too slow, because otherwise the bottom part will be getting warm, and you sure don’t want that.

For your next round, you should have realized how big those “Maß” beers really are, and your body will be screaming for some substance. This is where our Foodhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy favorite kicks in perfectly, the” Schweinshaxe”, a giant alcohol neutralizer J – Yep, Germans are not just good at building cars, the invention of the Schweinshaxe could certainly worth another Nobel prize nomination.

I wish the Russians would have understood that concept a bit better, when we went out mushroom picking in the forests of Siberia we only brought bread with ham and tomatoes, which certainly didn’t do the trick against all the Vodka we were drinking (Also, read our recent post about “Mushroom Picking in Siberia”).

Anyhow, the Schweinshaxe is going to keep you safe from all the rest of the silly things you’ll be doing that day. Just order a few more beers and go with the flow, singing, and dancing.  Please note, if you feel like the Haxe is slowly losing its power, it will be a great time to try another specialty, the Bratwurst, which will be a good supplement at a later hour.

That wraps up one special food experience, hope you enjoyed it and come back for more soon, when we write about a more exotic place.

Short description: Alcohol neutralizing giant greasy pork knuckle

Occasion: Excellent when sitting in a “Biergarten” or beer tent singing and drinking. It’s fun to eat, and easy to share.

Notes: The dish is perfect when served with some hot mustard and some little bread loafs.

Price range:  $13-$20

Calories: super heavy

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