Food is core to all cultures. The growing, harvesting, preparing and sharing of it. The regional flavours, traditions, recipes and festivals.
In Berlin we lived a block away from Marhieneke Markthalle, a fabulous fresh produce market, where each deli has it’s own small cafe, serving great value meals. I cried when I visited Berlin recently and the two man-mountains in line before me took the last two serves of Bratkartoffeln. Didn’t they understand I’d travelled all the way from Melbourne just for potatoes fried with bratwurst? And I don’t even eat bratwurst…. usually.
Unlike Melbourne, the seasons in Berlin arrive confidently and with them celebrated foods.
Spring = Spargel
Germans love this white asparagus. Huts appear on street corners. Kids miss school to help harvest the spargel and be Spargel King or Queen in the local spargel festival. Restaurants adapt their menu to include spargel in every dish, cooked every possible way. There was really no way to avoid this pale, phallic vegetable.
So I put on my best German Hausfrau apron and grilled, steamed and pureed spargel. It was a bit bland and boring really – which I mostly blame on my cooking. I think the real joy of spargel is that it heralds longer, warmer days ahead.
Summer = Strawberries
German strawberries have ruined me. I’m doomed to never enjoy another strawberry; fresh, on a tart, in jam… they just cannot compare to the sweet perfection of German strawberries.
In summer huts appeared all over the city selling large balsa punnets of freshly picked strawberries. Easily located by following the fragrance.
I made the best strawberry jam… ever!
Autumn = apples
We were lucky to stay at our friend Jens’ barn near the Harz mountains. This 3 storey barn (with indoor pool) is on the edge of a village. Nick and I walked through the fields after a storm passed. Windfall apples covered the ground where old, solitary apple trees stood between the rows of corn.
Winter = Weihnachtsmarkt
There are so many special German Christmas foods… most include marzipan, so let’s leave those ones out. We discovered that each of the Weihnachtsmarkt in Berlin had their own specialities and flavours. This was true in Hamburg too, where we sampled delicious deep-fried battered cauliflower (German pakoras).
It’s very convivial to sit on stools around a large fire/open air kitchen, where a half dozen men cook a dozen varieties of sausage. Matched with an equal range of condiments. Meeting friends. Buying kitsch glass Christmas ornaments and drinking gluhwein. The night air below freezing. Enormous Christmas trees looking right at home. All under sparkling lights.
Yes, I’ll have another gluhwein danke… after all, I’m taking the uBahn home.