When you think about German cuisine, what comes to your mind? What do you see, when you close your eyes and imagine a typical German lunch? I see tonnes of meat, sausages, heaps of French fries and giant beer glasses! At least that’s how I imagined German cuisine before our trip to Rudesheim. And you know what? Not much has changed! One significant difference was the white wine (mostly riesling) that is served with lunch or dinner in Middle Rhine. It’s nothing unusual in a region filled with vineyards where even the kids start their alcohol adventures from wine instead of beer. Whether it is wine or beer, judging from the local restaurants’ menus – Germans love meat and large, filling meals. Our habit to take a starter and then the main course (you have to write about it on the blog!) turned out to be a mistake here! The portions were enormous! Therefore, if you love steaks, pork chops and sausages, Germany is a destination for you! I know I’ve eaten more Wiener Schnitzels and French fires in the last 5 days than I usually do throughout the year but there were also some flavours I will remember and miss.
A short, subjective guide to Middle Rhine cuisine 🙂
1) SCHNITZEL AND FRENCH FRIES
schnitzel and French fries in Rudesheimer Schloss on a lively Drosselgasse
A Wiener Schnitzel is an absolute must! I know, we’re in Germany, not Austria but every restaurant here, has a schnitzel on the menu. The only thing that varies are the side dishes – French fries, baked potatoes, a salad. What’s interesting, in some parts of Middle Rhine, schnitzel is served not only with a lemon but also with anchovies and capers. I would have never thought of such combination but it works really good! Especially in Zwei Mohren hotel located in Assmannhausen where they serve delicate schnitzels that melt in your mouth. Schnitzel is a safe choice: it’s always there and it never disappoints. You know what to expect. The kids will also like it. No bummers here.
with anchovies and capers
2) BRATWURST
Sausage is yet another essential. You will find it in bars, booths, but also in good restaurants. Usually grilled, served with French fries, potatoes, a bread roll or cabbage salad. And yes, it’s not the most photogenic meal. What’s funny, some restaurant include WIENERS in the kids menu as a variation on a sausage. Apart from the breakfast menu, I’ve never seen it in Poland! As you can see, the love for sausages starts developing very early. In line with the “when in Rome, do as the Romans do” rule, Maks also gave it a try.
tough guy’s meal? 🙂
sausage in a casserole – the return to the old years or old winery dish
in our hotel Zum Grunen Kranz
3) CURRYWURST
you won’t find this flavour anywhere else
Similar to bratwurst I just can’t resist eating currywurst at least once when I’m in Germany – or twice or even more! It tastes best bought from a booth somewhere in the street. At Oktoberfest or here, we get a beer to go with it. I used to wonder why Łukasz likes this not-so-appetising meal. Just a sliced sausage, a sauce and curry. But when I tried it, I fell in love with currywurst too! PS. That’s surely one of the cheapest dinner ideas – a portion with a bread roll costs just 3 euro 🙂
4) DUCKS, BOARS AND SPÄTZLE
Apart from Schnitzel, Germans love steaks, ducks and chickens. We indulged ourselves with a baked chicken with Knödel during Oktoberfest. This time we really liked wild boar goulash at our hotel restaurant Zum Grunen Kranz.
Really tender, with delicious and aromatic sauce, meat that falls apart after first bite served with red cabbage and spätzle – a typical meal in south Germany! I have to admit that I chose this meal, specifically to eat spätzle. Spätzle are noodles made from flour and eggs. They taste like a combination of gnocchi and pasta – totally my cup of tea. You can also find them in Austria, Switzerland and South Tyrol. Germans love it. Wikipedia says that Germany produces as much as 40 000 tonnes of spätzle annually!
I’m not sure how much could I eat, but served this way, it tasted amazing!
wild boar goulash, spaetzle and red cabbage – hotel Zum Grunen Kranz – Rudesheim
5) FLAMMKUCHEN
You’re right, the first picture doesn’t show a pizza, but a flammkuchen, a traditional Alsatian meal that’s also very popular in Wiesbaden, Rüdesheim and Mainz. Instead of cheese, it’s usually covered with cream, bacon and onion, however there are more international types – with mozzarella and tomatoes for instance. A cool snack during festivities and wine festivals. We first tried flammkuchen on the Wiesbaden wine festival in 2011. It was one of the few attractions for me then, since drinking wine with 2 month old Maks was a no-no.
znacie ten smakołyk?
6) RÖSTI
Rösti are potato pancakes made from thickly grated potatoes. Not too German, since they originate from Switzerland. However, you can easily find them in Rüdesheim and its surroundings. They are served with tomatoes, mozzarella and rucola and are a counterweight to all the filling, manly dishes. I know that a potato pancake isn’t exactly the lightest meal but it’s easier to ride a bike after eating a rösti than after having a schnitzel.
rosti at Schloss Hotel Petry in Karden
7) APFELSTRUDEL
a lot of apples and vanilla sauce… unfortunately they ran out of vanilla ice cream
Probably the most popular German dessert. Served with vanilla sauce and vanilla ice cream. A bit like our apple pie but different. I love it with a lot of apples!
8) let’s end with RÜDESHEIMER KAFFEE!
A coffee and alcohol treat form Rüdesheim (as the name suggests). Invented in 1957, available in most restaurants and cafes in town. It draws attention of tourists due to the preparation process. The waiter gets a cup, puts some sugar in it and then pours local Asbach brandy over it. He sets it on fire until the sugar melts, pours coffee in and tops it with whipped cream sprinkled with chocolate. The taste is dessert and mildly alcoholic. Perfect for coffee lovers!
Rudesheimer Kaffee
* German National Tourism Board DZT and nd Rüdesheim Tourist AG invited us to Rhineland and Moselle Valley.
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