Traditional German Recipes

If beer and sausages sum up your understanding of German food, man are you in for some surprise! I know, I know, think German and you think cars, engineering, Bach, Beethoven, Michael Ballack, Steffi Graf, Boris Becker, beer and Oktoberfest! But the Fatherland that Germany is, it has a whole cuisine to its name, steeped in history and bursting with flavor. You can't really blame the lay person. With French food and Austrian pastry, Belgian chocolate and Hungarian goulash, Germany slips a little into the background, and well, it's more German beverages than it is German food - let's leave it at that, shall we? So for the uninitiated, these are some traditional recipes of more than the regular old sauerkraut that will break the mold and introduce you to the world of German cuisine. Ready to get cooking?

Traditional Recipes

German food varies greatly from region to region. While Germany is famous for its variety of sausages and rightly so, don't forget that German wine, cheese and German desserts deserve their fair share of glory too. There are some recipes that are family favorites to this day! Like any country, Germany has its own dishes and beverages that are peculiar to the region of their origin, and the true flavor can only be found in traditional German recipes. Take a look at some interesting recipes below:

Recipes for Kids

German Potato Salad
The German potato salad is easy enough for kids to whip up. Its ingredients will keep them happy too! Make enough to feed an army, forget about the calorie count and tuck in!

Ingredients

• Potatoes - 4 large, peeled, boiled and cut into cubes
• Sausage - of your choice, 2 cups, fully cooked and cut into dices
• Gherkins - 4 tbsp, finely chopped
• Onions - finely chopped, 4 tbsp
• Butter - 4 tbsp
• Mayonnaise - cup
• Salt and freshly ground Pepper - to taste

Method

1. In a large, heavy based pan, melt the butter till sizzling. Add the chopped onions and saut till transparent.
2. Add the potatoes and saut till golden brown; to this add the sausages and toss well. Take the pan off the heat, add the gherkins and mix well.
3. Put the mixture into a bowl and cool slightly till just warm to touch.
4. Add the mayonnaise and mix, ensuring that it coats all the ingredients. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Cake Recipes

German bread is a fabulous addition to a lazy Sunday breakfast or brunch. The recipe below, is less of a cake and more like a bread, but it's great nonetheless. Pour yourself a cup of coffee and put your feet up with a generous helping of this variation of the boring old loaf of bread.

Cinnamon Kuchen

Ingredients

• Butter or margarine - 1 cup
• Sugar - 2 cups
• Eggs - 4
• Milk - 1 cup
• Vanilla extract - 2 tsp
• All-purpose flour - 3 cups
• Baking powder - 3 tsp
• Salt - 1 tsp
• Cinnamon - 2 tbsp, ground

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 F, (180 C, Gas Mark 4). Grease and flour a 10 inch tube pan.
2. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and 2 cups sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well, after each addition.
3. Mix together the milk and vanilla. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together and add to the egg-butter-sugar mixture in two batches, alternating with the milk.
4. Combine the remaining sugar with the cinnamon powder, sprinkle 2 tbsp of this onto the greased baking pan.
5. Pour of the batter into the pan, then top with half the cinnamon sugar mixture. Top with another third of the batter and the sugar, then finally with the remaining third of the batter. Smooth the top, adding any scrapings to the sides, not the middle.
6. Bake in the center of the oven for approximately 1 hour, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Remove from the oven, cool on a wire rack and serve with fresh cream.

Dessert Recipes

While you might be on the look out for the good old Schwarzwlder Kirschtorte (German for Black Forest Cake) give it a miss and tuck into this light and easy dessert. It might just be one of the recipes that you pass on to your kids!

Kaiserschmarrn

Ingredients

• Eggs - 4, separate
• Milk - cup
• White sugar - cup
• All-purpose flour - 1 cup
• Raisins - cup
• Butter - 1 tbsp
• Icing sugar - 2 tbsp
• Applesauce - 2 cups

Method

1. Beat egg whites in a clean bowl, free from grease until they form soft peaks - the tips should flop over when you lift your whisk.
2. In a separate bowl, beat the yolks until smooth, add the milk, sugar, salt, flour and raisins. Gently fold in the egg whites, until just mixed.
3. Melt the butter in a skillet till sizzling. Pour the batter into the skillet and cook till golden brown, then flip and cook on the other side until set.
4. Tear into uneven pieces with a fork, and continue cooking for a further 2 minutes.
5. Serve warm, sprinkled with icing sugar and apple sauce.

These were some traditional German recipes to whet your appetite and get you started on your culinary journey through the plains and plateaus of this historic nation. There's more than just sausages to the cuisine of these Europeans! But be warned, once you get started, it'll be difficult to stop!