On a recent trip to Germany, my husband and I had to switch trains in the city of Bielefeld. “Look,” he said, pointing to a large billboard as the train approached the station, “Dr. Oetker.”
In our almost 18 years together, the prominent German food brand has not only become a reference for my husband but he has also learned to slowly pronounce the name with its consonant cluster, Doc-tor Oet-ker, without stumbling, which is not so easy for an American. Continue reading
Every year, as summer winds down and I am picking the last, often unsightly tomatoes in my garden, a strange craving befalls me: for a fried sausage slathered with ketchup and dusted with curry powder known around the world as Currywurst, Germany’s most popular fast food. Continue reading
The notorious German precision and efficiency transpires in the language, too. Zartbitterschokolade (bittersweet chocolate), Hähnchengeschnetzeltes (sliced chicken in cream sauce), Sauerkirschmarmelade (sour cherry jam)… why use several words if you can pack it into one long composite noun?
A German food word that could not be more spot on is Stachelbeeren (gooseberries). Continue reading
Spoonfuls of Germany 