Business trip: Berlin, Germany 3/3

Helsinki, 9 degrees






It looked like the world was covered in a cobbler crust of brown sugar and cinnamon.


This time I want to focus on one my favorite subjects: food. When I recently visited Berlin for a business trip, I knew very little of the local food culture. Of course, I knew that there would be beer, sausages and plenty of bread offered in Germany, but that was it. I was really surprised to find out that in Germany, haute cuisine has a high quality. Germany had the second most restaurants with one or more Michelin Guide stars in the world (2013), trailing only France. However, when I ate out in Berlin, it was not German food I had since the city was filled with international restaurants. When I asked around, nobody knew of any German restaurants. My birthday restaurant was, therefore Italian, where I received a lovely tiramisu from my colleagues with two candles. Incredible that from now on, I'll receive three candles.

Tällä kertaa haluan kertoa yhdestä suosikkiaiheistani: ruoasta. Kun vähän aikaan sitten kävin Berliinissä työmatkalla, tiesin etukäteen hyvin vähän saksalaisesta ruokakulttuurista: makkarat, oluet ja leivät. Siinäpä se oikeastaan. Olin todell yllättynyt kun kuulin, että juuri Saksalla on Ranskan jälkeen eniten Michelin -tähtiravintoloita (2013). Kuitenkin, kun itse söin ulkona Berliinissä, söin muun maalaisissa ravintoloissa. Kun kyselin saksalaisten ravintoloiden perään, kukaan siellä olleista ei sellaisista tiennyt. Mysteeri. Näin ollen vietin syntymäpäiväni italialaisessa ravintolassa ja sain kollegoiltani tiramisun kahdella kynttilällä. Ajatella, että sain viimeistä kertaa synttärikakun jossa kaksi kynttilää.

My stereotypical ideas of German cuisine weren't completely wrong. Pork, beef, and poultry are the main varieties of meat consumed in Germany, pork being the most popular. The average person in Germany will consume up to 61 kg of meat in a year! Wow! I could notice it at the ITB Berlin travel fair as there were hot dog stands everywhere. Germans really love their hot dogs I guess! 

Stereotyyppinen kuvani Saksasta ei ollut täysin väärä. Lihaa Saksassa syödään paljon. Keskimäärin saksalainen syö 61 kiloa lihaa vuositasolla, huhuh! Huomasin kyllä tämän, koska ITB Berlin -messuilla oli hot dogeja myynnissä kaikkialla. 

When I asked my boyfriend what to bring as a souvenir with me back home, the only thing he came up with was sausages! So I did my best and heard that Weisswurst is a local treat so I brought him some back home. Let me tell you, this was the weirdest souvenir I've ever bought! A Weisswurst, literally meaning white sausage, is a traditional sausage made from minced veal and pork back bacon. It is usually flavored with parsley, lemon, onions, and ginger. 

Kun kysyin poikaystävältäni tuliaistoivetta, hän ei keksinyt muuta kun että pyysi minua tuomaan makkaraa kotiin. Joten tein parhaani ja kuulin että Weisswurst on paikallinen herkku, joten toin sitä hänelle tuliaiseksi. Tämä oli kyllä erikoisin matkamuisto, jonka muistan ostaneeni. Weisswurst, eli vaalea makkara, on perinteikäs makkara, joka tehdään vasikasta ja sianlihasta. Makkara maustetaan persiljalla, sitruunalla, sipulilla ja inkiväärillä.

I did notice at the breakfast that bread is a significant part of German cuisine. About 600 main types of breads and 1 200 different types of pastries and rolls are produced in about 17 000 bakeries! Wow, that is impressive! Since we only have a few bakeries in Helsinki, and usually unfortunately buy bread in supermarkets, I always love to visit bakeries. So I did so in Berlin. It was lovely to see all those pretzels! A pretzel is a type of baked bread product made from dough most commonly shaped into a knot. I loved how they were seasoned with sugars, chocolate, glazes, seeds, and nuts. Unhealthy but so good! I also brought some chocolate back home to my colleagues and family.

Huomasin kyllä aamupalalla, että leipä on tärkeä osa saksalaista ruokakulttuuria. Kuulemma Saksasta löytyy n. 600 eri tyyppistä leipää ja 1 200 erilaista leivonnaista. Maasta löytyy myös peräti 17 000 leipomoa! Koska meillä on tapana vain harvoin ostaa leipää leipomosta ja eniten valitettavasti ruokakaupoista, tykkään kovasti käydä ulkomailla leipomoissa. Ihastuin rinkeleihin! Berliinistä löytyi monenmoista rinkeliä: suklaarinkeleitä, sokeririnkeleitä, siemenrinkeleitä ja pähkinärinkeleitä. Ehkä epätervellistä, mutta niin hyvää! Toin myös suklaata kotiin tuliaiseksi työpaikalleni ja perheelleni.


What is your favorite German food treat? What would you bring back home as a souvenir?

Mikä on sinun suosikkisaksalaisherkku? Mitä itse toisit matkamuistona mukaan kotiin?


What's your opinion?

  1. Very nice post! If I just knew you were going to Berlin, I always go to a typical German restaurant there and take friends there too, who want to taste "typical" German food. Well, for the next time. Or in another city, if you want, just tell me and maybe I know something to recommend. I lived and studied there for more than 10 years, as I told you. You are right about everything, bread, sausages, everything! What I like is Flammkuchen (but it's a bit like one in Alsace), Lebkuchen (I love it), Asparagus season that has everybody going mad about it, and Obazda (kind of a cheese from Bayern) and many things. For drinks I recommend in September Federweiser and Berliner Weisse. I am so glad you had this amazing trip and good experience! I must say I am not very experimental, so I like to read when someone is!
    DenisesPlanet.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, well next time. It's sounds like a great place though. What does that restaurant serve?

      xxx
      E

      Delete
  2. Never tried any real German food.

    ReplyDelete
  3. wow! It seems to be a great trip, love all about that food!:)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Sounds like you enjoyed the business trp. My favourite is the fresh baked breads, my nan used to make it and also Flammkuchen is also great! <3
    Fringe Style

    ReplyDelete

@elisabeth.rundlof