Bavaria, Regional Dishes

The Frankenland or Franconia, which are 3 regions in Bavaria’s northern part and, yes, the pioneers who settled in Frankenmuth, Michigan came from there, has many regional specialties not so common in the regions south of the River Danube.  As this region, in the span of European history, just recently (a couple hundred years ago) became part of Bavaria the food specialties developed a little on a different plane.

Many dishes I grew up with were even specific to the towns and local regions, like our Bratwurst is the thickness of a breakfast link sausage just about twice as long and served a pair on a bun, I already wrote about this in my “Bratwurst Mecca Franken” post, our Rouladen must have mustard in them and often our Sauerbraten is not marinated, but has the sourness in the gravy and has to be made with a “Sossenkuchen” a common Lebkuchen/Gingerbread with a lower sugar content, which is used to bind the sauce.

Bamberg’s Rauchbier (smoked beer), the short Nuremberg Bratwurst, “Blaue Zipf” (Bratwurst cooked in a vinegar base stock), Carp or Trout cooked also in a vinegar stock and the Fränkische Schäufele, the, in my opinion, close to ultimate pork roast are just a few of the things you should try during your visit there.

For the Lunch Meat and Sausage lovers among you, on the menu, the usually offered Brotzeit will be the treat not to pass up (Note: On Wurst Platters – Head Cheese, Liver Sausage and Blood Sausage are often included).

South of the Danube: Included here are specialties either originating here or which are widely spread. the most famous besides the beer is probably the original Weisswurst from Munich, the exceptional Prince Regent Torte, which I already introduced and the Oktoberfest specialty the Steckerlfisch, a trout or white fish, strongly seasoned, stuck onto a stick and cooked over a charcoal fire and often served just on the paper, used to take the fish off the stick.

 

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Let me list some of the dishes available in most parts of Bavaria:
Some recipes can be found on our Inge’s Kitchen

Many of these dishes are already covered on our ingeskitchen.com site and most of the others will either be included there or written about here in the future.kitchen

 

Blockhuette Selb

As this picture is nicer than any I took, I linked it from their official website

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The Rosenthal Community Gardens

 

Reuthstr. 21
95100 Selb

In the center of the Community Gardens of the Garden Club Rosenthal is the restaurant Blockhuette Selb.

You found me there during a family reunion of our German clan last year.

Used to the American/Michigan Banquet halls where you have the choice of 2 or may be 3 meats on a buffet line, I was surprised when the waitress handed me an actual menu.
The sit down dinner started with the choice of a Leberknödelsuppe/Liver Dumpling Soup, which is a regional specialty and went on to five entrees: Sauerbraten, Deer Roast, Bavarian Pork Roast, Schnitzel and also a Filet of Fish dish.
The well prepared and excellent seasoned food was enjoyed by everyone.

1DSC02288So we decided to come back a couple days later for lunch. My Mushroom Schnitzel was superb and according to my 3 companions so were their fish dishes.
Service was excellent and the proprietor makes a great effort to make you feel at home.

Closed on Monday and Tuesday. they start with Schnitzel Day on Wednesday at 3 PM with a variety  of  20 different Schnitzel dinners on the menu. Thursday and Friday afternoon you can get together for your own private Kaffeeklatsch here. Besides these weekly special events you can also order from their menu. Food is served from 11 AM until 9 PM.

Sure, there are restaurants in the region with comparable food quality, but not many come up to the quality/quantity/price ratio you will find here.

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Reiterstueberl, Grosswendern

Reiterstueberl2During my last visit in the region for a family reunion, my oldest sister and her husband invited my younger sister and me for supper at the Reiterstüberl, Großwendern. This place will not be listed in your commercial travel guides, but it is well known to the locals.

After a fire, over 80 years ago, the old farm was rebuilt and changed to a “Reiterhof”, a place to board your horse(s), it was also decided to add a small pub and the Reiterstüberl was born.
Additions and upgrades added a restaurant and a modern kitchen.

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Ham Platter

During the week you can select one of their excellent “Brotzeit” for a reasonable price. A cold platter of assorted wurst, ham, cheese, wurstsalad and on the warm side a couple of Bauernwurst or Wieners on a bun, Leberkaes, Currywurst or Ring Bologna with Sauerkraut can always be ordered.

The Wurst is made in their own sausage kitchen.

On the weekend you can enjoy a Schnitzel and a few other hot meals from their regular menu and for Sunday there are always a couple of local specialties added, like this week Rouladen and Pork Roast with Potato Dumpling.

The owner Andrea runs the show and is great at taking care of her guests.

This is a place of my off-the-beaten-track category which is from the quality and price ratio well worth a visit.

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Hausmacher Platte

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As an old meat-man myself , I have to say that I really enjoyed the quality and taste of Wurst here. Look at my menu choice in the picture on the left.

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Wurstsalat

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Schade’s Schmankerl Stubn Vielitz

Vielitz 7
95100 Selb

1DSC02265Like many of the places I try to feature, this one, located in a small village is also hard to find, but the food offered here is worth a visit.

Monday evening, vacation time, with many restaurants closed on Monday, the decision was made to visit Schade’s Schmankerl Stubn.
Entering the yard we saw a, for a Monday, well attended beer garden on our left, but decided, as the evening was getting cooler, to eat inside.
1DSC02277Like many restaurants in the region the furnishings were in a nicely appointed traditional Franconian style, nice size sturdy wood tables with padded wooden benches and chairs.

As we were the only customers inside, the waitresses dressed in Dirndls were very attentive.

In no time our drinks were served and our orders from a well rounded menu were taken.
The fish, served here in season, is very fresh as they are raised in their own pond(s). Although other local specialties sounded very tempting, I selected the Beef in Horseradish Gravy (Krenfleisch).
1DSC02272Once it was served and I started eating, I knew I made the right choice, as it tasted great and the horseradish had just enough bite to make it delicious. I was told the fish and the other entree choices of our group were also excellent.

An espresso to end the meal was served with a whole tray of different types of sugars.

To sum it up, delicious food in generous portions with fast and friendly service, that is all I am looking for and that is what this restaurant achieved.

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Restaurant NA PATĔ

Nebesa 1
352 01 Aš, Czech Republik

I try to concentrate on Bavaria, but once in a while there is a Restaurant close by, that deserves mentioning. This restaurant is definitely one of them. I omitted to take pictures as I did not think at that time that I would include this Restaurant here.
Located under 5 km from the German border in Wildenau, this is well worth a dinner visit.
On my last visit they upgraded my car and I was not allowed to take it into the Czech Republic, so we jumped at the opportunity when my nephew volunteered to take us there. This had one more positive side to it as, with me not driving, I could enjoy a beer or two (There is zero tolerance for DUI here).

The rustic ambiance of the restaurant in a former farm is very inviting. Their German website claims first class Bohemian Cuisine and I have to agree 100%. Nice size portions, perfectly seasoned and prepared, add friendly service and at a prize, where you can afford to spring for dinner for your friends, makes this well worth the extra side trip to drive here.

On a warm sunny day sitting in the old re-purposed barn and enjoying your meal gives this a special flair.

Rauhe Schaenke, Schoenlind

Schoenlind 23
95111 Rehau

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Less than 500 feet away from where the world was literally nailed shut during the Cold War there is a restaurant which, after being also “boarded up” for over 40 years, reopened under new management a couple of years ago. With no border crossing to the Czech Republic nearby it is still in the middle of nowhere, but reachable on a nice paved road.
Well known among the locals it is a stop for lunch or during bicycle outings or extended nature hikes. But during my last visit in the old homeland my sister and I were not that motivated and drove there by car, which was a lot easier.The location is nice and quiet and the newly remodeled restaurant has a pleasant charm. On a warm sunny day the sizable wooden deck is perfect to enjoy a beer right out there together with nature.

1DSC02318I enjoyed the Currywurst with French Fries and my sister selected the Headcheese platter with fried Potatoes. The food was excellent and served by the proprietor herself. 1DSC02317

Considering the location of the place I was surprised how many people came here for lunch during the week.
The weather was kind of cool so we could not sit outside enjoying the view of the surrounding woods and the peaceable quiet of the place.

1DSC02321On my next trip to Germany I will definitely stop in here again.

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There is a short YouTube video, which goes back to 1967, depicting the more simple life of kids in Schoenlind, Bavaria

Wirtshaus Wolffenzacher, Bayreuth

Posted on by allerlei.ggmtours.com

Wirtshaus Wolffenzacher Badstrasse 1 95444 Bayreuth

In the pedestrian zone at the Sternplatz in the center of Bayreuth is the location of the Wirtshaus Wolffenzacher with a tradition going back to the 16th century.
The proprietor and Chef Uwe Werner is well known for the excellent dishes he prepares and the menu includes tempting meat and fish dishes in the Franconian Tradition and also Seasonal Specialties.
Chef Uwe Werner is, for many years, preparing the culinary delights for the official reception of the Bavarian State at the beginning of the annual Richard Wagner Festivals.

The wood clad walls, adorned with historic pictures of famous festival guests add to the great ambiance of the restaurant and in the summer, the beer garden in the pedestrian zone invites you for a great meal, a cool drink and some people watching.

The Franconian part of the menu includes suckling pig, beef brisket in horseradish gravy, Sauerbraten and even braised beef cheek in a pepper-red wine sauce.

Click here to enter the German Language website of the restaurant.

Wild Rabbit Shanks with Mushrooms

 

Kaiserschmarren with Plums and Vanilla Ice Cream

Braised Beef Cheeks

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Franken Schäufala

Schäufele or Schäufala is a common dish in large parts of Southern Germany and Switzerland.
In the Baden and Switzerland area it is described as what we used to sell in our store in Michigan as a boiled Cottage Ham.

Courtesy Geier’s Sausage Kitchen, Sarasota Florida

By definition: Cottage Ham is the center, lean, boneless part of the pork shoulder, which is cured and smoked. Can be used in soups or just boiled and sliced as a, IMHO, better tasting alternative to regular Smoked Ham.

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Franken Schäufala

Photo linked from Wikimedia Commons, taken by Benreis

This brings us to the Franken Schäufala, a delicious, traditional meal in Franken/Franconia, the region of Northern Bavarian.
Here they take the bone-in Boston Shoulder Butt with the skin left on. The skin gets scored
and the piece of meat is roasted about the same as our Bavarian Pork Roast, click for recipe. (This link will be replaced when we publish our Schäufala recipe on Inges Kitchen).To replicate this dish here in the USA is a little bit tougher, as I do not know of any butcher shop where you can find a Pork Shoulder with the skin attached, unless you buy a whole pig and have it cut that way. In some areas there might be butcher shops which still process whole hogs.

As the crunchy skin/crackling defines this dish we will try to come up in the future with a recipe that might be close.

But as of right now you will have to spend the money on airfare and transportation to get a taste of that remarkable dish.

The picture of the above meal was taken at the Held brewery in Oberailsfeld, which was one of the early places we featured on our Bavaria4U blog

Historische Wurstkuchl, Regensburg

Historische Wurstkuchl
Thundorferstraße 3
93047 Regensburg

Original post by H.-G. in Bayrisches Allerei

Regensburg, (lat. Ratisbona) is one of the oldest cities in Germany. Located along the Danube river it was a Roman settlement right after the time that Christ was born. The human history of the area goes back all the way to the stone-age and the Bavarian Pope Benedikt XVI was for awhile a professor at the local university.

The English architect Lord Norman Foster considered Regensburg as one of the most beautiful cities in the world and the old town is now an UNESCO World Heritage site.

The over 850 year old “Steinerne Brücke” Stone Bridge is an excellent example of medieval masonry construction and together with the Dom/Basilica the cities most famous monuments.

Right next to the bridge is the over 500 year-old historical “Wurstkuchl”, the Historic Sausage Kitchen of Regensburg, famous for their Bratwurst. Over 1 million yearly are made in their own sausage kitchen, grilled over hot charcoal and devoured with homemade Sauerkraut and mustard (homemade too!). The menu also includes a few other meals like the, in Bavaria always present, Schnitzel.

Well introduced to tourists on the Internet, still many locals come here for their “Wurst attack”, as here tradition and quality are in high esteem.

Over the many years there is sometimes a very unwelcome guest – the flood. With the location next to the river the Danube floods occasionally, the last time in June 2013, so inside the small historic restaurant you find signs on the wall showing the high watermark, which was on one occasion a few inches below the ceiling.

With the mighty river so close even dams, erected before the waters come, don’t keep the area from flooding. But after all this time and many floods the hosts of this establishment are experienced in it and know exactly what to do and when to do it.

Now going by our modern standards we could consider the Wurstkuchl in Regensburg the oldest fast food restaurant in the world!!

Flashmob in Bavaria

In a recent email from a friend I received a link to a flashmob Bavarian style which I would like to share.

The performers are a group of guys from different areas of the German language regions in Europe who met in Munich and started an A Capella group.

A video of a TV show featuring this group gives you a better example of the different voices of these guys. It is an excerpt from the German musical “Elisabeth”

The featured song “Rock mi” of the above “flashmob” was originally written and performed in 1997 by the Austrian group the “Alpenrebellen” at an area TV Hit Parade show.

Here you can see the recent video of the original group, isn’t it surprising how we all age.

The official remix of the voxxclub video can also be found on YouTube

I just feel sorry for the poor Lederhosen (Leather Pants) as the one’s that I owned as a kid where worn by me when I broke through the ice in a lake and besides moldy they got so hard, that I could not wear them again and that was the beginning of my parents buying the highly anticipated jeans for me.

As good things always come in three, I would like to add another video to actually show a little glimpse of live in Bavaria and why a visit there should be part of your bucket list. This took place at 9.30 AM in the Biergarten (beer garden) of the Waldwirtschaft Groβhesselohe in Munich! Yes, that is correct 9.30 in the morning, check out all the empty beer mugs on the tables. That is life in Bavaria and part of the world famous Gemütlichkeit, which does not only happen at the Oktoberfest!

The translated lyrics for “Rock mi” can be found at

https://plus.google.com/102248119076866593444/posts/VpRsB69nRUC

Have a wonderful Oktoberfest season wherever you live.