German Culture Site
	Francine McKenna BellaOnline's German Culture Editor

Advent, Christmas and Seasonal Holiday and Festive Recipe Links
In Germany a great deal of October, November, December and even January are devoted to the baking and producing of much loved traditional food and drink recipes for the different holiday celebrations. Here are a few for you to try out.

Carnival Jelly Donut Recipe
A festival is not a festival in Germany unless there is some type of favourite food involved, and for Karneval, Germany's Mardi Gras, it is Faschingskrapfen or Berliner, the Carnival Jelly Donut.

Currywurst, Grilled Sausage with Sauce, Recipe
Germany's Currywurst, grilled sausage with curry sauce. A sausage and its sauce became an iconic snack seen everywhere, from summertime tourist spots, 'up market' city shopping streets, or a photo opportunity for Presidents and Prime Ministers. Recipe for the special sauce.

East Friesland's Friesentorte Recipe
It is a delicious creamy calorie bomb, and a North and East Friesland specialty. Friesentorte the 'special occasion' Frisian cream cake that accompanies a Friesentee, (Frisian tea), Ceremony on Sundays and celebrations. Or just because you feel like it.

Easter in Germany - Traditional Recipes
The Thursday before Easter is 'Gruendonnerstag', Green Thursday, in Germany, with its custom that meals for the day should by tradition be 'green'. Green Bean Soup and Seven Herb Soup are two of the most popular with any left over herbs used for Eggs with Frankfurter Green Sauce on Easter Sunday

Federweisser, Zwiebelkuchen and Treberwurst
The Federweisser wine season is as short-lived as the yearly harvest, but the traditional accompaniments, the rich onion pie 'Zwiebelkuchen' and 'Treberwurst', sausages marinaded with grapes and fried, can be tried at any time of the year.

Flammkuchen a German Specialty, Recipe
Flammkuchen is literally 'Flaming Cake', a wafer thin pizza type crust topped by a delicious combination of classic ingredients. A German favorite it originated in Alsace, an area of Europe which has spent much of the last centuries belonging to either France or Germany.

Fruit Punch and Potato Salad Recipes
Look no further than these traditional, and delicious, recipes from Southern Germany for something a little different to enjoy on a warm summer evening. Refreshing sparkling wine based Fruit 'Bowle' and 'Kartoffel' Salad specialities from two neighbouring states, Baden Wurttemberg and Bavaria.

German Hot Potato Salad Recipe
Potato salads have become a favorite throughout Europe but the original Warm Potato Salads came from Germany, where hot vinegar and bacon dressings served over vegetables and potatoes have been a staple of the country’s cuisine for centuries.

German Spaetzle Recipes
Spaetzle. What are they, what do you eat them with and how are they served. Some popular regional Spaetzle recipes. Documented back as far as the 11th Century, the traditional German pasta dish played an important role in the every day diet until potatoes were finally accepted in Germany

German Wine and Vineyards
The German wine industry is returning to its roots of producing high quality vintage wines. Although the traditions and customs surrounding the harvest will remain, more emphasis is being placed on the grapes grown and wines created so sweet and tasteless Liebfraumilch is on the way out.

Germany and its Cheese Culture
From the North Sea to the Allgaeu, Germany's 'foodie' favourite, Cheese, is produced in small mountainside farms and industrial dairies across the country. With hundreds of regional specialities and national varieties, ranging from mild to spicy, highly flavoured and sometimes less than fragrant.

Germany´s Traditional Caramelised Almonds, Recipes
Gebrannte Mandeln are delicious candied almonds that can, and are, eaten at any time of the year, freshly made and bought from festival or street side stalls, or at home with these two authentic recipes. While at Christmas, Weihnachtsmaerkte, Gluehwein and Caramalised Almonds are an unbeatable combination.

Grilled Fish on a Stick Recipe
Beer Gardens and Oktoberfest in Germany would not be the same without 'Steckerlfisch' for those who like fish and have hunger pangs. A Bavarian specialty, it is a well seasoned grilled fish complete with head, tail and a stick running through it.

International Green Week in Berlin
It has been held in Germany's capital for over 80 years, and is a 'one-of-kind' culinary tour of the globe which has kept in step with the times. Berlin's 'International Green Week', the biggest fair for food, agriculture and horticulture in the world, takes place each January.

Kaiserschmarrn with Caramelized Apples Recipe
Chopped pancakes with stewed, canned or caramelized fruit for breakfast, lunch or dessert, might not be what Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria's chef had in mind when he devised what is now known as Kaiserschmarrn, but a century later it is a foodie favourite throughout Bavaria and Austria.

Maibowle, a Woodruff Punch Recipe
A glass of May Punch, Maibowle, made from fresh Sweet Woodruff and White Wine, is a popular May time tradition in Germany, joining the Maypoles, Walpurgisnacht and other annual festivals and celebrations. During its brief season it is an ideal beverage for those warm spring evenings.

Maibowle, White Wine and Woodruff Punch Recipes
A glass of May Punch, Maibowle, made from fresh Sweet Woodruff and white wine, is a popular May time tradition in Germany, joining the Maypoles, Walpurgisnacht and other annual festivals and celebrations. During its brief season it is an ideal beverage for those warm spring evenings.

Obatzda, Beer Garden Snack, Recipes
Obatzda, a Bavarian mixed cheese specialty flavored with paprika, beer gardens shaded by chestnut trees, locally brewed beer, and fine weather, is an unbeatable and enjoyable combination for many during Germany's Spring, Summer and Autumn.

Pumpkin Potato Pancakes Recipe
Pumpkin left over and no idea what to do with it, or simply want a different potato recipe? German Pumpkin Potato Pancakes, traditional Rieberkuchen with pumpkin added, is a recipe which will use up extra pumpkin, but also become a family favorite without it.

Rinderrouladen - A Beef Rolls Recipe
Rinderrouladen, 'Beef Rolls', slices of beef rolled up around a seasoned onion and bacon filling and served in a wine sauce, are a delicious, and favorite, 'cold weather meal' in Germany, once considered so special they were saved for celebrations or Sundays.

Roast Goose, Red Cabbage and Dumpling Recipes
Koelner Martinsgans is a delicious St. Martin’s Goose speciality from Cologne, Germany and a meal to be enjoyed at any time, not only on St. Martin’s Day, November 11th. A winter favourite, and often made for Christmas or New Year celebrations, its traditional accompaniments are Red Cabbage and Dumplings and here are the recipes.

Roasted Pumpkin Soup Recipe
A delicious spicy Roasted Pumpkin Soup recipe from Germany, which is ideal for all those chilly autumn and winter days calling for warm, comforting and tasty seasonal food. Especially as it is also colourful, vitamin packed and nutritious.

Roasted Pumpkin Soup Recipe
A delicious spicy Roasted Pumpkin Soup recipe from Germany, which is ideal for all those chilly autumn and winter days calling for warm, comforting and tasty seasonal food. Especially as it is also colourful, vitamin packed and nutritious.

Rumtopf, Fruit and Rum Pot, Recipe
For centuries in Germany there has been a Rumtopf Tradition, the conserving of soft seasonal fruit in sugar and rum during the summer and early autumn to make a warming treat for Germany's winter months, and an indispensible part of end of year holiday celebrations.

Spaetzle, German Noodles, Recipe
German Spaetzle, little egg rich pasta noodles or dumplings, have been one of Southern Germany’s ‘Comfort Foods’ for centuries, now they are popular all over the country, and have spread across the world as a treasured memory from ‘home’ for German emigrants. A short history and authentic recipe.

Speculoos, Spread and Spice Mix Recipes
Speculaas were a special Christmas cookie, but now both they and the paste, a popular alternative to peanut butter and chocolate spread with the German young, and not so young, are year round favorites. Here are recipes for a quick and easy Cookie, Spread and 'Ready To Use' Spice Mix.

St. Martin´s Day Weckmann, A Bread Man Recipe
Neither a German St. Martins Day, Martinstag, nor a Sankt Nikolaus, St. Nicholas, celebration would be complete without having bought or baked the traditional sweet yeast dough Bread Man. Known as Weckmann, Nikolaus, Klausenmann or Stutenkerl and many other names, depending on the region, the recipe remains the same, and here it is.

White Asparagus Season in Germany
A first symbol of spring in Germany is 'Spargelzeit', the white asparagus season. Much loved white stalks known as 'The Royal Vegetable', which are harvested and enjoyed for two months from around the middle of April until June 24th, St. John the Baptist's feast day.