Spreewaldsauce facts for kids

Spreewaldsauce is a special kind of thick sauce. It comes from the Brandenburg and Berlin regions in Germany. People often eat it with fish like eel, pike, or zander.

This sauce might remind you of a French sauce called Béchamel sauce. However, many believe Spreewaldsauce has its own much older history. It is thought to be a truly local recipe.

To make Spreewaldsauce, chefs mix fish fond (a flavorful liquid) with a light roux (a mix of fat and flour). Then, they make the sauce even better by adding butter, cream, parsley, and dill. Sometimes, people change the recipe a bit. They might use flour mixed with cream instead of roux. Some recipes even add a little light beer or make the sauce thicker with egg yolk.

History of Spreewaldsauce

The Spreewaldsauce has been enjoyed for a long time. A famous German writer named Theodor Fontane even wrote about it. He lived from 1819 to 1898 and was known for his novels and poems.

Fontane once wrote about how important this sauce was. He said: "It wouldn't be a meal in the Spreewald without a pike on the table. And it wouldn't be a pike without the famous Spreewaldsauce. This sauce is so important that I should share its main secret here. The secret of this sauce is simple: use little butter, but lots of cream."

This quote shows how special Spreewaldsauce was, even back then. It highlights that the creamy texture from lots of cream is key to its unique taste.

See also

• In Spanish: Salsa Spreewald para niños