Swabian cuisine

Swabian cuisine is native toSwabia, a region in southwestern Germany comprising great parts ofWürttembergand theBavarian part of Swabia. Swabian cuisine has a reputation for being rustic, but rich and hearty. Fresh egg pastas (e.g., Spätzle noodles or Maultaschen dumpling wrappers), soups, and sausages are among Swabia's best-known types of dishes, and Swabian cuisine tends to require broths or sauces; dishes are rarely "dry".
As soils were meagre and stony, conditions for raising cattle were poor. Meat, therefore, was something of a luxury for most, and was mainly consumed by thearistocracyandlandowners, while thecommon peopleoften had to be content withtripewhere meat was concerned.
Regional influences on Swabian cookery abound. Old-Wurttemberg waspietistic, and the cuisine is therefore rather simple, as nutrition was prized above flavour, in keeping with Christian asceticism. In the Roman Catholic parts of Swabia, mainly influenced by Austria, the cuisine is more elaborate and features more opulent flour dishes. In the Plains ofHohenlohefish, especiallycarp, is a local favourite. The cuisines of the formerEmpire citiesUlm,Augsburg,RavensburgandBiberachare very diverse, with apparent Italian and French influence.
The potato was introduced in the mid-17th century, soon gaining popularity and integrated into the local cuisine. Many new recipes were developed, such asSchupfnudeln,potato saladandhome fries.
The popular idea of traditional Swabian cuisine remains based on the stereotype of simple, hearty and uncomplicated "peasantfood".
Among Swabia's best-known dishes areMaultaschen(meat and spinach-filled dumplings either fried or served in broth) andSpätzle(fresh egg noodles). Freshnoodleproducts in a wide range of variations may comprise main dishes or may be served as side dishes.
Maultaschenare dumplings filled with ground or minced meat, onion, spinach and soaked stale bread. Their nickname isHerrgottsbscheißerle,which meanslittle God-cheaters, because as legend says they were first prepared by monks who wanted to evade the Lenten meat prohibition, and the monks supposedly thought that God could not see the meat inside the pasta. Maultaschen may be served in a hearty beef broth, or fried. Although they are eaten throughout the year, it is traditional to eat them onGood Friday.
Another very famous specialty isspätzle, which is to the Swabians a universalside dishto meat dishes with sauces, but also the main ingredient in stand-alone dishes. As an accompaniment to meat dishes, they are commonly garnished with roasted onions and breadcrumbs, which were browned in butter. A popular dish featuring spätzle as a main ingredient isKässpätzle, which is spätzle that are cooked in salted water and then layered into a casserole with different kinds of cheese (commonlyEmmentalerandGruyère, orWeißlacker) and roasted onions. The kind of cheese used depends on the region in which it is being prepared.
As with many noodle products in Central Europe, spätzle can also be featured in sweet dishes combined with sugar,apple sauceor otherfruit preserves, but they are more commonly seen in savoury dishes.
Also originally Swabian isLinsen mit Spätzle, a dish featuring lentils cooked in a vinegar broth and served over spätzle. They are often served withVienna sausagesor smokedbacon.
Spätzle is prepared by scraping the fresh pasta down in thin bands from the "Spätzlesbrett" (a simple wooden board), but nowadays there are special "Spätzlepresse"s available, (which are similar topotato ricers). Shorter Spätzle and the thick, roundKnöpfleare prepared with aSpätzlehobel, which is a board with little holes through which the dough is pushed, directly into the boiling water.
Spätzle and Knöpfle can be served directly after cooking but usually they are briefly tossed in liquid butter before serving. The dough contains wheat flour, egg and water although occasionally ingredients, such as spinach or tomato puree, are used for colouring.
Also calledBuabaspitzla,Schupfnudelnare another particularity of the cuisine of Upper Swabia and theAllgäu. They are made of a dough which contains equal parts offlourandpotatoand their shape is oblong with tapered ends. They are cooking by boiling in salted water, but may also be combined with saurkraut and bacon, and pan-fried. This is called "Krautschupfnudeln" (lit., "cabbage schupfnudeln") and are eaten duringcarnival, and on theKermesse festival. They may also be served with sweet accompaniments, either pan-fried or boiled: they are commonly eaten with melted butter, cinnamon sugar,apple sauceorfruit preserves.
Pancakes are also calledFlädleand are usually very thin and fried in oil. They may be eaten as a whole with savory or sweet accompaniments, or cut in stripes and added to soups.
Another type of pancake is theKratzete. They are not only eaten as a sweet dish but may also be eaten as an accompaniment to asparagus.
Soups and stews are essential parts of Swabian food culture.The fact that soups and stews are loved by Swabians lead to the nicknameSubbaschwôbwhich means "Soup Swabian". Infine dining, they are usually served as an appetizer, but in home cooking they are usually a main dish, served with bread.
One of the most popular Swabian stews isGaisburger Marsch, a nourishing stew with diced ox meat, cooked potatoes and Spätzle. The certain something is the garnish consisting of fried onions topping the soup. Legend says that the stew was first served to hungry soldiers inGaisburgin the 19th century and became so popular that soldiers stationed more distantly marched all the way to Gaisburg to enjoy it. Thus, the name "Gaisburger Marsch" means "March to Gaisburg".
Thinpancakesare cut into slices and are added to a clear broth. As they absorb the broth very quickly, they are added just before serving.
Although not much meat was historically used in the kitchen, there are still some regional specialties with meat; for instance, roast lamb with spätzle. Many recipes use tripe, which was inexpensive and therefore affordable for the common and poorer people. Very well known (although not universally loved) areSaure Kutteln,tripecut into slices, steamed withrouxand then soured withvinegarorwine.
Other famous dishes using tripe are "Saure Nieren" (lit. sour kidneys) and "Saure Leber" (sour liver), both prepared by cutting theoffalin slices, pan-frying, and serving with a sauce, alongside spätzle or home fries, and a green salad.
The SwabianWurstsalatis an assortment of sausages that are sliced, mixed together with onion, pickles and chives, and dressed with oil and vinegar, and eaten with bread.
Fish dishes are often made withBodenseefelchen(freshwater fish in the salmon family), which are caught in theLake Constance. They are often pan-fried in butter, but can also be served steamed or smoked.
Filderkrautis a special variety ofpointed cabbagegrown on theFilder, a plain nearStuttgart, and used to makesauerkrautand salads.
The Swabian potato salad is also very famous in Germany and even in other countries. In contrast to themayonnaise-dressed potato salad in Northern Germany, it is lighter and contains less fat. Waxy potatoes are cooked and peeled when they are still hot. Then they are sliced and mixed with diced onions before pouring warm broth, vinegar and oil in succession over the potatoes and onions. Optionally, it can be garnished with chives or diced pickles, or spiced with mustard. The salad should rest for a few hours or even overnight before serving and can then be enjoyed as accompaniment for different dishes or solely with bread.
Brenntarwas a Swabianstaple foodstuff, particularly prominent in theSwabian Juraand in the Allgäu. It is made of a specially roasted flour calledMusmehl.
Ofenschlupfer (lit., "oven slipper") is a kind ofbread puddingconsisting of stale white bread spiced with sugar, vanilla, andcinnamon, which is layered in a casserole dish with apple, raisins, and almond biscuits, and then soaked in an egg and cream-basedcustardbefore being baked in the oven.
Kirschenplotzercomprises stale white buns, worked into a dough with butter, egg, milk, and sugar, into which cherries are folded before the casserole is baked, and then served hot.
Pfitzauf is also a dish prepared in the oven. This is a kind ofsouffléprepared in special Pfitzauf moulds and commonly served with applesauce or vanilla sauce, although there are also savory recipe variations with cheese or bacon.
Nun's puffsare small round doughnuts made of a yeast dough orchoux pastry, and fried. They are traditionally eaten duringCarnivaland may be served as a main dish or a dessert served with icing sugar, cherries, or vanilla sauce.
Beignetsare also very famous, and are commonly prepared with apples and served with vanilla sauce.
Swabian baking culture boasts a broad range of different breads. There are many variations that are not widely distributed or known, and are only baked in a particular area or village.There are some baked goods made throughout the region, and widely available inbakeries: these includeLaugengebäck, pretzels, bread rolls, andHefezopf(lit., "yeast plaid").
The Swabian "Seele" (lit., "soul") is abaguette-like white bread made fromspeltwith its origin in Upper Swabia. It is prepared from a very high-hydration dough from spelt flour, yeast, water, and salt, and formed into an elonged loaf and sprinkled withcaraway seedand coarse salt. After baking, it is crispy on the outside and very light and fluffy on the inside. It also stays moist inside due to the highglutencontent of spelt flour.
Briegel is a very similar baked good that is native in East Wurttemberg, and is even moister than the Seele. It also belongs to the species of moistened breads such as Wasserwecken and Knauzen fromWendlingen.
Another speciality which is native toReutlingenis theDreikönigsmutschel, (lit., "Three Kings Mutschel"), a star-shaped, bland yeast pastry with eight points and a round elevation in the middle which is the circle of a braided garland. It is traditionally eaten on the Thursday afterEpiphanyand people play dice to eat it and celebrate.
The Swabian Cream Cake is a thin yeast flatbread spread withsour creamand topped with onion or leek and bacon, very similar to theFlammkuchenfromAlsace. The topping may vary and some add egg or caraway seed. In theHeilbronnarea, a variation called "Peterlingkuchen" (parsley cake) is popular and as the name suggests, this flat bread is topped withparsley. The name also differs depending on the locale, with variations beingDennetle,Dinnette,Blooz, andBätscher.
Also well-known is the SwabianZwiebelkuchen, which is very similar to the Frenchquiche Lorraine. It is usually eaten in late summer and autumn withFederweisserorapple cider.
There are a variety of cakes prepared in Swabian homes, since the German tradition of Sunday afternoonKaffee und Kuchenis widely practiced by Swabians. Also very popular is the SwabianTräubleskuchen, a cake with ashortcrust pastrybase and a filling ofredcurrantand beaten egg whites.