Hessian cuisine facts for kids
Hessian cuisine is the traditional food from Hesse, a region in central Germany. It uses recipes that are hundreds of years old. This food is a big part of what makes Hesse special. Because Hesse is in the middle of Germany, its food mixes styles from both northern and southern German cooking. It also has strong influences from Bavarian cuisine and Rhenish Hesse. Many Hessian dishes have a slightly sour taste. Popular examples include local wines and ciders, sauerkraut, and a special cheese called Handkäse served with onions and vinegar.
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Drinks in Hesse
Cider is a very popular drink in Hesse, especially around the city of Frankfurt. The local apple cider is called Apfelwein (which means "apple wine"). In the local Hessian dialects, people often call it Ebbelwei or Ebbelwoi. This special drink is usually served from a large clay jug called a Bembel. You drink it from a glass with a cool diamond pattern, known as a Geripptes (meaning "ribbed").
Other drinks with a sour taste are also popular. Speierling is Apfelwein with berries from the service tree added. Mispelchen is a small glass of calvados (apple brandy) served with a medlar fruit. Hesse also has many local breweries. Their own brands of beer are usually the most popular in each area.
Food in Hesse
Cheeses and Sausages
Handkäse is a strong, sour milk cheese. It is very famous in the Frankfurt area. People often serve it "mit Musik" ("with music"). This means it comes with a dressing made of vinegar, onions, and sometimes a bit of caraway seeds. The "music" refers to the lively sounds of preparing the dish.
Outside the Rhine-Main area, in northern Hesse, the town of Kassel has its own special foods. One is Ahle Wurst, which is a sausage that is either air-dried or smoked. Another is Speckkuchen, a kind of bacon quiche. There is also Weckewerk, which is a sausage made from cooked meat, often from a pig's head.
Green Sauce and Other Dishes
A very traditional dish in Frankfurt is Grüne Soße (or Grie Soß in the local dialect). This means "green sauce." It is made from a mix of fresh herbs, eggs, oil, and vinegar. People often eat it with boiled eggs, potatoes, or meat.
Kassel and northern Hesse have their own special way of making Grüne Soße. Their version uses seven different chopped herbs, usually mixed with sour cream, quark (a type of soft cheese), or yogurt. Sliced boiled eggs are also added. This northern version looks and tastes different from the Frankfurt one.
Duckefett is a simple sauce that is a regional specialty in northern Hesse, especially in Kassel. It is made from bacon, onions, and sour cream. Sometimes, cooked and condensed milk is added. People usually eat Duckefett with potatoes or potato dumplings. Because its ingredients were cheap, Duckefett was once known as peasant food.
Hessian Sweets
Hesse is not famous for many sweet recipes, but there are a few special ones. Bethmännchen are small, round pastries popular in Frankfurt during Christmas time. They are made with marzipan and decorated with almonds.
Haddekuche is a type of hard gingerbread. It is scored with a pattern that looks like the Geripptes glass. This gingerbread is a traditional snack to eat with Apfelwein.
Schmandkuchen is a popular dessert all over Hesse. It is a flat cake baked on a tray. It has a soft sponge cake base, topped with a thick layer of sour cream (called "Schmand" in German) and whipped full-fat cream. Before serving, it is generously sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon.
See also
In Spanish: Gastronomía de Hesse para niños
