Tag: German Food

German Heritage Bucket List: 9 Experiences Every German-American Should Do

German American History, German American Museums, German Ancestry, German Architecture in America, German Attractions, German Heritage Bucket List, German Towns In America, German Traditions

From finding the village behind your surname to raising a stein at Oktoberfest, these nine experiences will help turn German ancestry into a heritage you can see, taste, hear, explore and pass forward.

Late August has a way of making us look both backward and forward. Summer is still holding on, but fall is beginning to whisper. Festival tents will soon rise, kitchens will fill with the scent of warm bread and spices, and Oktoberfest calendars will start appearing on refrigerators across America.

It is also an ideal time to ask a wonderfully simple question:

What have I actually experienced of my German Heritage?

More than 40 million Americans report German ancestry, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, yet German-American identity rarely looks the same from one family to the next. One family may still make a grandmother’s potato salad exactly as she taught them. Another may have an old photograph labeled only “Germany.” Some know the precise village their ancestors left. Others inherited an Anglicized surname, a few family sayings and a feeling that an important chapter has gone missing.

That is what makes a German heritage bucket list so much fun. It is not a test of how “German” you are. You do not need to speak fluent German, own Lederhosen or know the proper number of turns in a polka. The goal is to move heritage out of the attic and into real life.

“Heritage is not only something we inherit. It is something we experience, preserve and pass forward.” — German Heritage USA

Whether your family arrived in the 1700s, stepped off a ship in the 1880s or came to America much more recently, here are nine meaningful—and genuinely enjoyable—experiences to put on your list.

1. Find the German Place Behind Your Family Name

A surname is a clue. A hometown is a doorway.

One of the most rewarding moments in family research is discovering the actual village, town or region where an ancestor lived. Before Germany became a unified nation in 1871, records might identify a person with Prussia, Bavaria, Saxony, Württemberg, Hesse, Hanover or one of many smaller states and territories. Borders shifted. Town spellings changed. Handwriting can look as if it were produced during a bumpy wagon ride.

Begin with what your family already knows. Interview the oldest relatives. Examine the backs of photographs. Gather birth, marriage, church, census, military and naturalization records. Then look for passenger manifests and records from the ancestor’s American church or county. The National Archives recommends many of these same record groups—including census, immigration, naturalization, military and land records—as starting points for genealogy.

The breakthrough detail is often not “Germany,” but a precise place: a village near Kiel, a parish outside Stuttgart or a farm community along the Rhine. Once you find it, mark it on a map. Look at the landscape. Learn what the region ate, built, celebrated and sounded like.

Bucket-list moment: Locate one ancestral hometown and say its name aloud. That dot on the map may change the way your entire family story feels.

2. Hold an Immigration Record—and Visit a Gateway if You Can

There is something electric about seeing an ancestor’s name on a passenger list or naturalization petition. Suddenly, history has handwriting.

Search for the ship, departure port, arrival date, occupation, traveling companions and final destination. A single line may reveal that an ancestor crossed with a sibling no one remembered, carried only a modest amount of money or was headed toward a relative already established in America.

If the journey included New York, visit Ellis Island and the National Museum of Immigration. From 1892 to 1924, more than 12 million immigrants were processed there. But do not force every German-American story through Ellis Island. Large numbers of German-speaking immigrants arrived before it opened, and families also entered through ports such as Baltimore, Philadelphia, New Orleans and Galveston.

If travel is not possible, create the experience at home. Print a copy of the manifest. Find an image of the vessel. Map the route across the Atlantic. Read about conditions aboard ships during that era. Then imagine the mixture of relief, fear and expectation your relatives may have felt as land came into view.

Bucket-list moment: Hold a copy of an original immigration document and trace the journey from the old home to the new one.

3. Spend a Weekend in a German-American Town

You can travel through German-American history without crossing the Atlantic.

Choose a community where immigrant culture is still visible in streets, churches, architecture, food and local traditions. Walk through Hermann, Missouri, where the Deutschheim State Historic Site preserves buildings from the German settlement of the Missouri River Valley. Visit New Ulm, Minnesota, and its towering Hermann Monument. Explore Fredericksburg, Texas, founded by German settlers in 1846. Wander through Columbus’s German Village, Cincinnati’s Over-the-Rhine or the Amana Colonies in Iowa. For a playful Bavarian-style getaway, Frankenmuth, Michigan, adds festivals, food and plenty of gemütlich atmosphere.

Do more than shop. Take a walking tour. Visit the local history museum. Read cemetery stones. Notice church architecture. Ask a baker or shopkeeper how the town’s traditions changed over time. Order something you have never tried instead of the safest item on the menu.

The most interesting discovery may be how German customs blended with the local landscape. German-Texan culture is not German-Minnesotan culture—and neither is a museum piece. Each tells a different American story.

Bucket-list moment: Plan one heritage weekend and leave room for an unplanned conversation with someone who helps keep the town’s story alive.

4. Attend an Oktoberfest—and Experience More Than the Beer

Yes, raise a stein. But first, raise your curiosity.

Munich’s Oktoberfest began in 1810 with festivities celebrating the marriage of Bavarian Crown Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese. A horse race helped launch what became the world’s most famous Volksfest. Today, communities across the United States transform that spirit into local celebrations filled with music, food, dancing, parades, crafts and family traditions.

Attend a festival run by a German-American club, cultural society, church or town with genuine German roots. Listen to the brass band. Watch a dance performance. Learn the words to Ein Prosit. Try a regional dish. Ask about the organization behind the celebration, then support it by buying from local vendors or becoming a member.

Traditional clothing can add to the fun, but remember that Dirndl and Lederhosen are rooted primarily in Alpine and Bavarian traditions; they are not a uniform for every part of Germany. Wear Tracht respectfully if you choose—or simply arrive ready to participate.

Bucket-list moment: Join the communal toast, meet someone new and learn one tradition that existed long before the souvenir tent opened.

5. Cook One Heritage Meal Completely From Scratch

Food may be the shortest route between generations.

Choose one family recipe or one dish from your ancestors’ region and make the entire meal an experience. Roll Rouladen. Cut fresh Spätzle. Fold Maultaschen. Bake a proper Apfelkuchen. Try Königsberger Klopse, Sauerbraten, Labskaus, Thüringer-style sausage or a North German fish dish. Germany is not one kitchen, and discovering regional differences is half the pleasure.

Invite relatives to cook with you. Set the table properly. Play German music. Tell the story of the person connected to the recipe. If the instructions say “add flour until it feels right,” stop and measure what “right” means so the next generation has a fighting chance.

No inherited recipe? Adopt one thoughtfully. Research where it comes from, learn how it was traditionally served and write down what you changed. A tradition does not have to be ancient to become meaningful; it simply has to be repeated with intention.

Bucket-list moment: Host a German heritage supper at which every guest brings either a dish, a photograph or a family story.

6. Learn Enough German to Open a Door

Fluency is wonderful, but connection begins much earlier—sometimes with only five brave words and a smile.

Learn how to introduce yourself, pronounce your family name and explain where your ancestors came from. Practice useful phrases such as Guten Tag (good day), Woher kommt Ihre Familie? (Where does your family come from?), Meine Familie kommt aus … (My family comes from …), Danke schön (thank you) and Auf Wiedersehen (goodbye).

Label a few objects around your home. Learn the words to a traditional song. Watch a German film with subtitles. Join a conversation group or take a beginner course. Most importantly, allow yourself to sound imperfect. Every new speaker has to cross that bridge.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe wrote:

“Wer fremde Sprachen nicht kennt, weiß nichts von seiner eigenen.”

It is often translated as:

“Those who know nothing of foreign languages know nothing of their own.”

Learning German can reveal patterns, meanings and family-name clues that an English translation alone cannot provide.

Bucket-list moment: Have one short conversation in German—even if you rehearse every line beforehand.

7. Experience a Living Tradition With Your Own Hands and Feet

Heritage becomes memorable when it moves.

Attend a Sängerfest or German choir concert. Learn a folk dance from a cultural group. Watch a woodcarver, brewer, baker, glassworker or instrument maker demonstrate a traditional craft. Visit a Christmas market and speak with the artisans. Try decorative egg painting, paper cutting, embroidery, bread baking or wreath making. If your family came from a particular region, look for a tradition connected specifically to that place.

The point is not to pretend it is still 1850. Living culture survives because each generation adapts it. A young accordionist can bring new energy to an old melody. A baker may preserve a grandmother’s method while using a modern kitchen. A festival can honor its founders while welcoming neighbors whose families came from everywhere.

Do not remain at the edge taking pictures. Ask to try. Sing the chorus. Take the dance lesson. Make the ornament. Volunteer for setup. The fastest route from spectator to community is often carrying a folding table.

Bucket-list moment: Participate in one tradition instead of merely watching it.

8. Make the Ancestral Journey to Germany

This is the dream trip—the one that can make a century collapse in a single afternoon.

Once you have identified a hometown or region, build the journey around it rather than squeezing it between famous attractions. Contact the local archive, parish or historical society before you arrive. Learn whether the family church, home, workshop or cemetery still exists. Hire a local guide or genealogist if old handwriting, language or access rules create barriers.

Then slow down. Sit in the town square. Hear the church bells. Walk the road toward the fields. Eat what the region actually eats. Germany stretches from North Sea harbors and Schleswig-Holstein lakes to Rhineland vineyards, central forests, eastern cities and the Bavarian Alps. Your family’s Germany may not resemble the castle-and-Lederhosen image on a travel poster—and that is precisely why it is worth finding.

Leave space for emotion, but also for ordinary life. The grocery store, bus stop and weather are part of the experience. You are not entering a frozen ancestral world; you are meeting a real place that continued living after your family left.

Bucket-list moment: Stand in your ancestors’ community, take one quiet photograph and write down exactly how the moment feels before the details fade.

9. Become the Ancestor Future Generations Will Thank

The final experience is not about looking backward. It is about deciding what travels forward.

Create a small family archive. Scan photographs at high resolution. Label every person, place and approximate date you can identify. Record grandparents, parents, aunts and uncles telling their stories in their own voices. Save recipes, letters, military records, baptism certificates, immigration documents and translations in more than one secure location.

Then make the history enjoyable. Build a photo book. Create a short family documentary. Start an annual German supper. Celebrate German-American Day on October 6. Take children or grandchildren to a festival and let them choose the dessert. Give each person a copy of the family tree rather than keeping the only version on one laptop.

Most family history is not lost in a fire or flood. It disappears quietly when no one writes a name on the back of a photograph. Your contribution does not have to be perfect or complete. It simply needs to give the next curious person a place to begin.

Bucket-list moment: Record one 20-minute family interview this month and ask, “What do you remember that you never want us to forget?”

Your German Heritage Is Calling—What Will You Do First?

A bucket list works best when it leaves the page.

Circle the experience that excites you most. If a trip to Germany is years away, begin with a recipe. If the family tree feels overwhelming, interview one relative. If you already know the ancestral village, learn five German sentences you could use when you arrive. Small acts accumulate into living heritage.

Late August is an especially good time to begin. Fall festivals are approaching. Families will soon gather around holiday tables. Archives, museums, language courses and cultural clubs can turn a spark of curiosity into a year of discovery.

And remember: there is no single correct way to be German-American. Your heritage may be loud with brass music and festival laughter, or quiet as an ancestor’s name written on a ship manifest. It may live in a Lutheran church record, a Jewish family archive, a Catholic cemetery, a farmhouse recipe, a union song, a Texas town, a Midwestern workshop or a photograph from a Baltic village.

The important thing is to experience it—and then help someone else experience it too.

Got A Little German In You? Your German Heritage Is Calling You!

Leave a comment , , , , , , , , , , ,

Why Germans Love Biergartens: The Summer Tradition America Has Embraced

Backyard Biergartens, Biergartens, German Culture, German Heritage & Culture, German Heritage USA, German Traditions

How a centuries-old German tradition of friendship, food, and community found a second home in America.

On a warm summer evening, something special begins to happen.

The grill starts sizzling with bratwurst. The aroma of freshly baked pretzels mingles with the scent of blooming flowers. Glasses clink together as laughter echoes beneath the shade of towering trees. Children chase one another across the lawn while grandparents exchange stories that have been told for generations. Neighbors wander over carrying homemade potato salad, desserts, or perhaps a favorite family recipe that has been passed down for decades.

Whether it’s called a backyard barbecue, a neighborhood cookout, a church picnic, or a German biergarten, the feeling is remarkably familiar.

Few people realize that one of Germany’s oldest and most cherished traditions has quietly become woven into the fabric of American life.

The biergarten is not simply a place to enjoy a cold beverage.

It is a celebration of friendship.

It is a gathering place for families.

It is where strangers become neighbors and neighbors become lifelong friends.

More than two centuries after its beginnings in Bavaria, the spirit of the biergarten continues to thrive—not only across Germany, but throughout the United States wherever people come together to enjoy good food, meaningful conversation, and the simple pleasure of spending time outdoors.

As German immigrants crossed the Atlantic during the nineteenth century, they carried much more than luggage. They brought recipes, music, traditions, craftsmanship, festivals, and a way of gathering that still influences American culture today.

The story of the biergarten is ultimately a story about people.

And perhaps that is why Americans have embraced it so enthusiastically.

A Cool Solution That Changed German Culture Forever

The story begins in Bavaria during the early nineteenth century.

Long before electricity and refrigeration, keeping beer fresh throughout the hot summer months presented a serious challenge. Beer spoiled quickly in warm weather, and brewers needed an innovative solution.

The answer came beneath the ground.

Large breweries began excavating deep storage cellars into hillsides where temperatures remained naturally cool throughout the year. These underground lager cellars provided ideal conditions for storing beer until it was ready to serve.

To protect the cellars from the summer sun, brewers planted rows of chestnut trees above them. Their broad canopies provided dense shade, while their shallow root systems helped avoid damaging the vaulted ceilings below.

The result was both practical and beautiful.

As visitors arrived to purchase fresh beer directly from the breweries, simple wooden tables and benches were placed beneath the trees.

Without intending to, Bavarian brewers had created one of the world’s most beloved outdoor gathering places.

The modern biergarten had been born.

More Than Beer—A Place for Everyone

Unlike many establishments of the time, biergartens quickly developed into places where social status mattered very little.

Farmers sat beside merchants.

Craftsmen shared tables with professors.

Musicians laughed with factory workers.

Entire families gathered together.

Children played nearby while parents enjoyed long conversations under the shade of ancient trees.

Long communal tables became one of the defining features of German biergartens.

Rather than encouraging privacy, they encouraged conversation.

If every seat was occupied, newcomers simply joined whoever had room.

Introductions happened naturally.

Friendships followed.

Many lifelong relationships began over shared tables and shared stories.

That welcoming spirit remains one of the defining characteristics of authentic biergartens today.

As the German proverb says:

“Shared joy is double joy.”

The biergarten became the perfect place to experience that simple truth.

King Ludwig and the Rise of Bavarian Biergartens

Bavaria’s brewing traditions flourished during the nineteenth century, particularly during the reign of King Ludwig I.

Munich was rapidly becoming one of Europe’s great brewing centers, and beer had become an important part of daily life.

While regulations surrounding brewing evolved over time, public appreciation for outdoor beer gardens continued to grow.

Biergartens offered something unique.

They were democratic.

Everyone was welcome.

Families.

Visitors.

Travelers.

Artists.

Students.

Laborers.

No elaborate dress code existed.

No expensive membership was required.

The focus wasn’t on luxury.

It was on community.

This welcoming philosophy helped biergartens become gathering places where every generation could enjoy summer together.

Why Chestnut Trees Became Part of the Tradition

Many visitors notice the magnificent chestnut trees that shade traditional Bavarian biergartens.

These trees were chosen for practical reasons.

Their large leaves created excellent shade during the hottest months of summer.

Equally important, their relatively shallow roots were less likely to damage the underground beer cellars.

Over time, these trees became inseparable from the biergarten experience.

Today, many of Germany’s oldest biergartens are still shaded by enormous chestnut trees planted generations ago.

They have become living witnesses to countless celebrations, reunions, engagements, weddings, and family gatherings.

In many ways, the trees symbolize the biergarten itself.

Strong roots.

Generous shade.

A place where people naturally gather.

The Tradition of Bringing Your Own Food

One of the most surprising customs for first-time visitors is that many traditional Bavarian biergartens historically encouraged guests to bring their own meals.

Families packed picnic baskets filled with homemade favorites such as:

  • Fresh rye bread
  • Pretzels
  • Obatzda cheese spread
  • Radishes
  • Pickles
  • Smoked meats
  • Bratwurst
  • Liver sausage
  • Black Forest ham
  • Potato salad
  • Homemade cakes

The brewery supplied the beer.

Families supplied the feast.

Instead of operating like a restaurant, the biergarten became a shared community dining room beneath the trees.

Everyone contributed.

Everyone participated.

Everyone belonged.

That spirit of generosity remains one of the hallmarks of authentic German hospitality.

The True Meaning of Gemütlichkeit

No discussion of biergartens would be complete without one of the most beloved words in the German language:

Gemütlichkeit.

While often translated as “coziness,” the word carries a much deeper meaning.

It describes a feeling of warmth, comfort, friendship, belonging, relaxation, hospitality, and contentment.

Gemütlichkeit cannot be purchased.

It cannot be manufactured.

It happens naturally whenever people genuinely enjoy being together.

A true biergarten is built around this idea.

The beer may attract visitors.

Gemütlichkeit is what encourages them to stay.

As author and Nobel Prize winner Thomas Mann once observed:

“Order and simplification are the first steps toward the mastery of a subject.”

In many ways, the biergarten embodies that philosophy—simple food, simple surroundings, and meaningful human connection creating something extraordinary.

» Read more

Leave a comment , , , , , , , , , ,

Defying the Winter Chill: 5 Beloved German Dishes to Warm Your January

German Heritage Talk

Germany might conjure images of lush green landscapes and vibrant summer festivals, but winter holds its own magic in the land of hearty food and heartwarming traditions.

As January paints the world white, Germans turn to a culinary repertoire specifically designed to combat the cold. These dishes are more than just meals; they’re comforting embraces, flavor-packed escapes from the winter blues.

So, grab your mittens, crank up the heat, and prepare to embark on a delicious journey through 5 iconic German dishes that will chase away the January chill:

1. Linsensuppe (Lentil Soup): A Humble Hero

Starting off with a classic, Linsensuppe is the epitome of German comfort food. This humble lentil soup, simmered with aromatic vegetables and seasoned with smoked sausage and bay leaves, is not only soul-warming but also incredibly nutritious.

Lentils are packed with protein and fiber, keeping you energized throughout the long winter days. The smoky depth of the sausage adds a delightful savory twist, while the vegetables lend pops of flavor and essential vitamins. A sprinkle of fresh herbs on top and a slice of crusty bread for dipping make this simple soup an absolute winner.

Lentil Soup Recipe

Ingredients: 1 cup brown lentils, 1 onion, diced, 2 carrots, diced, 2 celery stalks, diced, 4 cups vegetable broth, 1 bay leaf, 1 smoked sausage (like kielbasa), sliced, salt, pepper, fresh herbs for garnish (optional).

Instructions: Rinse lentils and soak in water for 30 minutes. Sauté onion, carrots, and celery in olive oil until softened. Add lentils, broth, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 30 minutes or until lentils are tender. Add sliced sausage and season with salt and pepper. Simmer for another 10 minutes. Garnish with fresh herbs before serving.

2. Grünkohl mit Pinkel (Kale with Sausage): A North German Delight

Venture north, where the wind blows fiercely and the kale grows strong. Grünkohl mit Pinkel is a traditional dish from Lower Saxony, a hearty stew featuring dunkelbunt (a garlicky blood sausage) nestled amongst a bed of savory kale.

The kale is typically cooked with onions, bacon, and goose fat, resulting in a rich, flavorful base.

» Read more

Leave a comment , , , , , , ,

Beethoven Maennerchor adds food to its menu

German Food, German Heritage USA, German Restaurants USA


The famed beer hall serves bratwursts, Reuben sandwiches and more along with beer. The beer has flowed regularly throughout the 152-year history of Beethoven Maennerchor, but as of earlier this summer, the famed German beer hall in Southtown has added food to the festivity. Beethoven is now selling bratwursts ($6) topped with sauerkraut and Reuben sandwiches ($7) daily, as well as rotating specials that include dishes like German goulash, sauerbraten, spätzle and soft pretzels. And every Wednesday, it’s offering up a “Chef’s Choice” special that will feature other authentic German dishes.

    Leave a comment , , ,

    Asheville restaurateurs pamper your palate in Erwin

    German Food, German Restaurants USA


    Dear Readers, may I present to you Ms. Janis MacGregor and Mr. David Outar, a pair of restaurateurs from just over the hill in Asheville, North Carolina. MacGregor and Outar own and run Asheville’s Bavarian Restaurant and Biergarten on the north end of town at the Woodfin suburb. It is a popular place, being much frequented by customers from Tennessee, who were not shy about entreating the pair to open a new restaurant on this side of Sams Gap. Well, the pair looked at many different locations throughout the Tri-Cities before choosing 202 Union St. in the town of Erwin as the location of their restaurant and naming it the Pampered Palate Café

      One comment , , ,

      Schnitzel Haus asks community for help on GoFundMe page

      German Food, German Restaurants USA

      With restaurants struggling through the COVID-19 pandemic and unable to provide indoor dining, a Bay Ridge favorite is asking for help. Schnitzel Haus, the German restaurant at 7319 5th Ave., has been in the community for 13 years and owner Alfred Urban has created a GoFundMe page to help pay the rent. “I’m not the type of person that asks for help, but unfortunately we have nowhere to turn right now,” he wrote. “Schnitzel Haus has become a staple in Bay Ridge in my opinion. At the beginning my parents and my family were the only ones that believed  in my dream. It has been a very difficult road. 

        Leave a comment , , ,

        Hügel Haus Switches from Sunday Dinner to Brunch – Door County Pulse

        German Food, German Heritage USA


        The German restaurant and “Door County’s wurst bar” in Ellison Bay has changed its Sunday routine from serving dinner to serving brunch. Every Sunday for the foreseeable future, you’ll be able to indulge in a delicious brunch, 9 am – 2 pm. The menu features a variety of classic breakfast and lunch options, plus some […]

          Leave a comment , ,

          Anheuser-Busch plans restaurant at St. Louis’ Ballpark Village

          German Beer/Bier, German Restaurants USA

           

          Here comes the King, here comes the number one!

          Anheuser-Busch plans restaurant at St. Louis’ Ballpark Village

          “The licensing and sponsorship agreement with the St. Louis Cardinals and the Cordish Companies, a Baltimore-based development company, will include a 25000-square-foot restaurant with German-inspired cuisine, more than 100 global beers on tap, and …”
          http://nrn.com/article/anheuser-busch-plans-restaurant-st-louis-ballpark-village

          The Anheuser-Busch Restaurant - St. Louis

          An absolute first. Anheuser-Busch licenses its brand for a German Heritage related restaurant in St Louis that includes an outdoor Biergarten too.

          Read more: http://nrn.com/article/anheuser-busch-plans-restaurant-st-louis-ballpark-village#ixzz1zDteAFB2

          Leave a comment , , , , , , ,

          German Pastries German Recipes | My Best German Recipes

          German Cookbook, German Food, German Recipes

           

          German Heritage USA –  Are German Pastries your weakness?

          German Pastries German Recipes | My Best German Recipes

          "Plunder pastries can be found in every German bakery. They can be made with vanilla pudding, quark with jam (raspberry, apricot) or assorted fruit on top.mybestgermanrecipes.com/tag/german-pastries/"
          http://mybestgermanrecipes.com/tag/german-pastries/

          German Plunder

          German Bakeries come up with so many recipes combinations of pastries that will make your mouth water. For more German Heritage information… visit www.GermanNationUSA.com
           

          Leave a comment ,

          The German Cookbook: A Complete Guide to Mastering Authentic German Cooking

          German Cookbook, German Recipes

           

           

          The German Cookbook: A Complete Guide to Mastering Authentic German Cooking

           

          4.5 out of 5 stars

           

           

          Price: $22.29

           

           

          Here is the completely authentic book of German cuisine, from delicious soups to the greatest baking specialties of the world, complete with indexes and both English and German. In addition to the easy-to-follow recipes, the author discusses some of the great restaurants in Germany and how to order the traditional dishes. She researched these recipes for a year in the United States, eating almost every night in German restaurants, from the most expensive, to small neighborhood eateries, then traveled throughour Germany itself. Every recipe has been tested in her own kitchen–she guarantees that the ingredients are readily available and that the average person needs no special equipment in order to cook it.

          “Few countries in Europe,” the author writes in her introduction, “have landscapes more beautiful or maore varied than those of Germany. It is not a large country, slightly smaller than the state of Montana, but within this area there is almost every kind of terrain one finds in the Temperate Zone. The German cuisine is almost as varied as the terrain. Just as Bavaria passes as the archetype for the entire country, so the food of that section–the dumplings, sausages, beer, pork, and cabbage dishes–represents German cooking to the outside world Delicious though these dishes may be, they hardly begin to give even a clue to the whole spectrum of German cooking, which has more appeal than the average American palate than that of any other foreign country. Think of all the German dishes that have been taken over by Americans–not only hamburgers and frankfurters, with or without sauerkraut, but the jelly doughnut that was first the Berliner Pfannkuchen, Boston Creme Pie, that in Germany is ‘Moor’s Head’; the range of Christmas cookies; and even that old stand-by of ladies’ luncheons, creamed chicken in a patty shell, that appears in every German Konditorei as Koniginpastetchen.”

          Here they all are, hundreds of them. So Prosit and gut essen: your health and good eating.

           

           

           

           

           

           

          Customer Reviews:

          228 of 229 people found the following review helpful
          5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding for use by Americans., October 22, 1999
          By A Customer
          This review is from: The German Cookbook: A Complete Guide to Mastering Authentic German Cooking (Hardcover)

          This German cookbook is specially designed for use by Americans: measures, ingredients, temperatures, cuts of meat, etc. However, all of the recipes are very authenic and wonderfully traditional. One does not have to fear conjuring up some strange variation of a traditional German recipe; something that is bad enough to make a German epicurian flee from the table! Included with the recipes one will find ample text that describes the qualities and goals of the German chef, plus valuable techniques that can make all the difference between average and excellent results. There are two complete recipe indexes: English and German. For the record, I lived in Germany for a number of years, and worked with Germans in the states for many more. This is the only German cuisine cookbook that I have ever found, which is truly great in all respects.

           

           

          Leave Your Reviews & Feedback Below:

           

          Leave a comment , , ,

          The Pride of German Heritage in the USA

          German Heritage Talk, GermanNationUSA

          German Heritage in the USAWhen you grow up in the heartland of America with some little known German Heritage in your bloodline, you can’t but one day but notice a certain connection to the all the German immigrants that once migrated to the United States to start a new life, help build a great country and preserve some of their homeland traditions, values and cultural heritage.

          What a life changing risk/reward opportunity proposition that must have been for the millions of German emigrants to make. The sacrifices to endure this change had to be monumental. The discovery of your German Heritage probably started with your own surname as a child as you inquired to your parents of its meaning and origin.

          Shortly after came the association of German Heritage food dishes, as family recipes were handed down through the generations to continue the sentimental connection prompting more questions regarding your genealogical “roots” history. The family dinner table was always considered the centerpiece and cornerstone of family history and heritage because the dialog that taken place there over the years.

          Did you know that to this day, science and common sense agrees that the quickest association to your brain is literally through your stomach?

          When you find pleasure eating good food, then that will surely turn into a strong favorable emotion. If there are other attachments to your dining experience like ambiance, heritage and traditional history, then there is no turning back. The emotion is locked in for life.

          Don’t know much about your German Heritage yet?

          No worries because we created a website that may help you out on your discovery journey to get you up to speed. It’s called GermanNationUSA and is designed to become the official site of German Heritage related tourism and commerce within the USA.

          The ever populating GermanNationUSA website is still quite young as we continue to update and upgrade it at every chance, putting emphasis on German Restaurants and food related businesses across America.

          We are creating a huge data base so you can hopefully locate a German Restaurant in your immediate area, or if you are anytime away from home so you can experience a bit of Germany, in a eating kind of way.

          Of course within GermanNationUSA you will discover how German Heritage is thriving all across America with news headline updates, dedicated sections on German food, German restaurants, German recipes, German festivals & events (like Oktoberfest), German cars, German clubs, societies and organizations, German gifts, German costumes, German genealogy, German music, German dance and notable German themed destinations within the USA.

          Got a little German in you?

          Why not start exploring your German Heritage today within GermanNationUSA and then with a visit to a local German Restaurant near you and start connecting your stomach to your brain – and get in touch with your German Heritage.

           

          ~ Prost!  (cheers)

          Brian Hingst

          For more German Heritage information within the USA… visit www.GermanNationUSA.com

          Also “like” us on facebook at:
          www.facebook.com/GermanHeritageUSA

           

          Leave a comment , , , , , , , , , , , , ,