.Germany

Cooking by Country - April 2003

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Ancient Times and Influences

The fertile terrain and ample water supplies made for good grazing and Germany has always been rich in beef, dairy cattle, sheep, and pigs. Thus, until the Middle Ages, the German diet mainly consisted of meat and their by-products i.e. milk and cheese. Smoking, marinating and salting techniques were developed to store the abundance of meat, a practice which has survived and is evident with their myriad of sausages and preserved foods.

The Romans were the probably the first to make any significant comment on German food. Latin literature records that German cuisine was a simple affair, consisting of a lot of meat and a lot of mead. By 96 AD, the Romans completed their colonisation of regions in southern Germany and it is undeniable that their eating and drinking habits influenced the German cuisine.

Not much is known about the period after the Romans withdrew, but there seems to have been a culinary revival with the spreading of Christianity and the inevitable founding of monasteries. Another influence came with the political stabilisation of Western Europe under Charlemagne around the 8th century. It was at that time that extensive cultivation of grapes, vegetables, fruit and herbs was recorded. Also, with this stability came wealth (at least for some) and it was the ruling classes who were responsible for introducing spices from around the adding another dimension to traditional German cooking.

The following period of wars probably had the most influence on modern-day German cuisine. Both France and parts of Italy were conquered and now came under Charlemagne's rule, as did Switzerland and Austria. One doesn't immediately think of German cuisine being akin to French cuisine, but it's certain that culinary customs were picked up from both the French and Italians.

By the 18th century sugar, rice and potatoes (introduced by King Frederick the Great of Prussia) became widely available to the German populace.

Current Day Cuisine
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Today simple but substantial food remains a characteristic of German cuisine. Meat, Game, game birds and rabbit are considered traditional foods, as is the use of juniper berries, with mustard and horseradish being common condiments. The renowned Sauerkraut is still popular as are their vast range sausages (wurst), speciality cured meats and dairy products e.g. cheese, often eaten with Pumpernickel bread which originated in Northern Germany.

As one would expect, the geographical differences and the bordering countries still have an influence on regional cuisine. Cooking in the north still tends to reflect the customs of the nearby Scandinavian countries. The diet here is much heavier than that in the south, with an emphasis on meat and potatoes. In the south, a lighter cuisine can be found with strong influences from nearby Italy and Austria. Also grain products are substituted for potatoes in many instances e.g. Spatzle which is a special type of pasta noodle.

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