Franconian cuisine

Franconian cuisineis an umbrella term for all dishes with a specific regional identity belonging to the region ofFranconia. It is a subtype ofGerman cuisinewith many similarities toBavarian cuisineandSwabian cuisine. It is often included in the Bavarian cuisine, since most parts of Franconia belong toBavariatoday. There are several Franconian food items that are also famous beyond the borders of Franconia, such asNürnberger Lebkuchen,Bratwurstand thewinesof Franconia. Franconia is also famous for itsbeerand harbours the highest density of breweries in the world.
Most people think of the typical and supraregional known "Nürnberger Bratwürste" when they think of Franconian food. These smallsausagesare made ofporkand originate in the city zone ofNürnberg(and only this area is authorized to call the sausages "Nürnberger"). They are commonly served and eaten in threes: either as "Drei im Weggla" which means three sausages served in a roll or as a dish containing six of these sausages andcabbage.
But beyond the famous "Nürnberger Bratwurst" Franconia produces a variety of otherbratwursts, such as the bratwurst produced aroundAnsbachwhere the sausage is additionally flavoured withsalt,pepperandmarjoram.
Other regions feature thisspiceas well e.g. in the region of Western Mainfranken, a thumb-thick and twelve centimeter long Bratwurst is eaten either alone or in pairs.
In the area ofHofthe small and much leaner "Hofer Bratwurst" is very popular and usually eaten in pairs.
The city ofKulmbachfeatures a similar sausage which, in comparison to the variety from Hof, contains a much higher share ofveal.
Another specialty which is only available in the area ofCoburgis the "Coburger Bratwurst" which is similarly thick and coarse as the "Nürnberger" but is roasted on apineconefire and therefore acquires additional flavours through the smoke.
All of these sausage varieties are commonly grilled on a barbecue or in a pan and eaten with rolls and/orsauerkraut. Sometimes they are also served withmustard, either hot or medium or withhorseradish. Though the addition ofketchupis especially famous with children, it is not traditionally used in Franconian cuisine.
A variation to prepare the sausages, though not so common beyond Franconia, is to stew them invinegarstock which containsvinegar,water,onionrings, slicedcarrots,salt,pepper,bayleaves andjuniper berries. The sausages are simmered in the broth at a low temperature for about 15 to 20 minutes and then served under the name "Saure Zipfel" or "Blaue Zipfel" (which meanssourorblue tips).
For a mid-afternoon snack (which is called "Brotzeit" in Bavaria) it is common to spread raw sausage meat on peasant bread and add diced onions as a topping with salt, pepper and paprika seed. In rural areas this is calledTartarbreadthough it has little in common with the realtartarwhich is made of rawbeef.
A typical Franconian Brotzeit dish is Pressack mit Musik (Head cheesewith music). "Mit Musik" means with music and refers to the onions, which are known to be flatulent. Also common are German Sülze,Blutwurst,Bierwurst,Stadtwurst, andLeberkäse.
In the region ofForchheimandBad Windsheimthemirror carpis a native. It is traditionally cut lengthwise and baked or servedbluewhich means that it is stewed invinegarorbeerstock. The bakedroeof the fish is considered a delicacy and known under the name "Ingreisch" which meansinnards. As this is a very famous dish one should preorder it in most restaurants. To eat these specialities the best restaurants are those with own pools where the carp is kept and the best time is early autumn in the months September to November. After November the carp is most frequently imported from Eastern Europe and is therefore not as fresh as in the months before.
As in most of Germany's regional cuisines, many meat dishes are found in Franconia, especially from pork. Very well known are baked pork shoulders, the so-called "Schäufele" (because of the shovel-like shoulder blade) with its cross and cutrind. Also, the very popular one is the pork roast with crust and potato dumplings, which is also popular inUpper Bavaria, where it is served withsauerkrautwhile the Franconians serve it withred cabbage,savoy cabbageorgreen beans.
A speciality is also the "fränkischeSauerbraten". In contrast to the "rheinische Sauerbraten" it is prepared without the use ofraisins, and thesauceis thickened with soaked and lightly sweetenedginger bread. This ingredient gives the dish its own typical flavour, which is then rounded off withred cabbageand in some regions the addition oflingonberrycompote.
The recipe of the famous "SchweinfurterSchlachtschüssel" Is cooked pork meat served together withsauerkraut, freshbreadand groundhorseradishon table-size wood plates. Common drinks include Franconian wine, and at the end each guest gets a portion of liver andblood sausagesto take home.
Baked blood, also called "Schwaaß" is still a popular traditional dish, particularly in the area ofHof. The blood of the slaughtered animal is collected and then baked with dicedbacon,onion, stalebread,marjoram, andsalt. It is eaten with sauerkraut andpotatoesasside dishes.
In Franconia it is a tradition to eat mixedsaladandKlößeas a side dish to anyroast. The specialRohe Klöße(lit. meaningraw Klöße) are prepared only with grated rawpotatoand filled with some dices of stale bread. If there are any Klöße left from theSunday roastthey are traditionally sliced and cooked in a pan. Another traditional side dish are "Wickelklöße". These are made out of potato dough which is rolled out, spread with meltedbutter, sprinkled with breadcrumbs and then wrapped together and sliced into Kloß-sized pieces. They are considered a speciality from the region ofLower Franconiabut eaten also in other regions. A third type of Klöße are Semmelklöße, which are made from mashed dryrollssoaked in milk and cooked. Instead of dumplings sometimes broad noodles (Bandnudeln) are served with roasts.
Vegetables are hardly ever a main but almost always a side dish. Very common aresauerkraut, whitecabbage,red cabbage,savoy cabbage,Kohlrabiand alsocarrot.Salsifyis also often featured in dishes, and has been grown inFranconiasince the 17th century. In winter they are served in acreamsauce withhamandpotatoes. In summer a variation of this dish is served but withasparagusoriginating in the region north ofNürnberginstead of the salsify. But the asparagus is also used in salads or is eaten with the famous Bratwurst.
A special side dish or condiment ishorseradishwhich is called "Kren" in Bavaria. It is grown mainly in the areas aroundErlangen,ForchheimandHöchstadt an der AischandBaiersdorfand is commonly used as a condiment in the sauce which is served withTafelspitz.
Typical Franconian soups arebread soup,semolinadumpling soup (German:Griesklöschensuppe),pancakesoup (Flädlasuppe), andliverdumpling soup (Leberknödelsuppe). Another Franconian dish is a kind of steamedchanterelle(Saure Pfiffer).
Salads, which are usually served with a main dish include Franconianpotato salad, which is made withBroth, mixed salad orColeslaw(German:Krautsalat). A Brotzeit dish is theWurstsalat(for exampleNürnberger Gwerch).
Franconia is the home of about 270, often small,breweries. In summer the cellars open their doors and many restaurants offer a small mid-afternoon snack with a litre of beer (commonly called a "Maß") or a half litre (commonly called a Seidel).Upper Franconiahas the highest concentration of breweries in the world. A large proportion of them are located inFranconian Switzerland.A local speciality from Bamberg is the famousSmoked beer(German:Rauchbier). The main beer types of Franconia aredunkel(German:Dunkles Bier) andpale lager(Helles Bier). Other types likewheat beer(German:Hefeweizen),märzen, orbockare also common.
The city ofKulmbachis also known as the "secret capital of beer" since one of the breweries there advertised their product with this slogan and in the city ofHofthere are still 6 independent breweries in existence, while inNürnbergthere are only 4. The city ofBambergtops the list with 12 breweries and only 70,000 inhabitants, and is therefore considered "Franconia's beer city", sometimes even Germany's beer city.
Wine is common inLower Franconiaaround theRiver Main.Franconiais one of the German quality wine regions, and the wine of Franconia is typically bottled in bulbous Bocksbeutel-bottles, and the region is a wine-growing area especially famous for its white wineSilvaner,Bacchus, andRiesling, and the dry red wineDomina. During grape harvesting theFederweisseris another well-known regional variety.
FranconianFederweißeris an alcoholic beverage, made of grape juice that is still in the process of fermenting. Typically it has about 4 percent alcohol by volume. (The term in principle includes all stages of fermentation frommustto finished wine.)
Typical spirits of Franconia areObstbrände(also calledGeist) orliqueurs, which are made of apples, plums (Zwetschgen) pears, or cherries.
Similar to other German regions, Franconian bread types range from white wheat bread (Weißbrot) to grey (Graubrot) to black (Schwarzbrot), actually dark brownryebread. The typical Franconian bread (Fränkisches Landbrot) contains both wheat and rye flour (henceMischbrot, mixed bread). Characteristic for this bread is a high percentage of rye flavour, usually 80% and about 20% wheat flour and an aromatic spice mixture. The shape can be longish (Kipf) or round (Laib). The weight is usually around 1 - 4,5 kg.Pretzelsand bread rolls are also common.
FranconianZwiebelkuchen, which literally means onion cake, is a pie made of steamed onions, diced bacon, cream, andcarawayseeds on a yeast dough.
Ginger breadlikeNürnberger Lebkuchenis one of the most famous delicacies of Franconian cuisine. In theMiddle AgesNuremberg (German:Nürnberg) was a trading centre also for exotic spices and other specialities. In the forest surround the city there were manybeekeeperswhich supplied the markets withhoneyand especially because of these facts the long tradition on gingerbread-making originates in this city. From the end of August until winter time the little biscuits are offered with "Christkindlesmarkt-Glühwein" (mulled winemade withblueberries). Nowadays there are only a few small manufacturers left with artisanal production and the majority of the Lebkuchen are made in industrial production.
During Christmas and advent season there are also several bakeries and confectioner shops producing their own Lebkuchen and other Christmas biscuits. The most common and most famous variety is the "Elisenlebkuchen" which often has a rectangular shape (most varieties are traditionally round-shaped). Very important are also the quality levels which are determined in the "Leitsätze für feine Backwaren" (Principles for pastries and baked goods) and the sophisticated quality level for Lebkuchen requires it to be made withwafers.
"Küchla" or "Küchle" (lit. meaninglittle cakes) are a supraregional popular specialty of Franconia, and are sweet, pan-fried yeast-dough pastry which is commonly prepared fresh on festive occasions.
There are several variations in existence: they may be rectangular, square, or round; the latter are most common and are also known as "Knieküchla" which meansknee cakes. This name derives from the original method of preparation which required the baker to draw the yeast dough over his knee to obtain the typically thin crust of the Küchla. Nowadays it is either drawn over the back of the hand, a turned doughnut stick, or even arubberball. With this method, the round pastry is very thin in the middle and almost translucent, and its rim is quite bulbous and has a flavour quite similar to adoughnut. In the obtained shape, the Küchla are fried and typically served with powderedconfectioner's sugar.
Rectangular Küchle, which are also called "Striezel," puff up duringfryinglike acushion, a process which is calledrising. After frying, they have a thin and flat golden brown base, and a thicker, cushion-like upper part. As the Küchle are turned once during the cooking process, it is essential that the dough is without any defects; if there are only minimal ones and the dough tears during rinsing, the pastry will collapse and remain flat. These misshaped products are also called "Dutschen".
Schneeballen("snowballs") are a type of shortcrust pastry especially popular in the area of Rothenburg ob der Tauber. Its name derives from its round, ball-like shape with a diameter of about eight to ten centimeters, and is traditionally decorated with confectioner's sugar.