Baden-Württemberg's specialties

Baden-Württemberg, Germany's third-largest state in terms of both population and area, is very versatile: not just for its landscapes or industry, but also in terms of its culinary offerings. Many rare animal and plants reside here, something that is also reflected in the local cuisine: from the fresh "Felchen" whitefish from Lake Constance to Limpurger beef, the state's oldest breed of cattle.

For the people from Baden-Württemberg, these products are very important. That's why there is an association of "nature park innkeepers" (Naturpark-Wirte), whose members are landlords and hoteliers in the Nature Park and hiking region in the southern Black Forest, who have committed themselves to offer at least six regional main courses on their menus all year round. Their motto is "taste the Black Forest." And they mean that literally, as all of their products are bought from local farmers, thereby safeguarding their businesses.

Baden-Württemberg - a culinary all-rounder

The eastern half of Baden-Württemberg is shaped by forests and the bare heights of the Schwäbische Alb hill range. In the west, the countryside turns fruitful and fertile. This contrast is also reflected in the local cuisine. Across Germany the eastern part of the state of Baden-Württemberg is renowned for its rustic, simple food and the south-western part for its gourmet cuisine.

The stony ground of the Schwäbische Alb hill range made cattle breeding challenging, which is why only rich people in the past could afford meat. Simple folk had to make do with innards and flour-based foods. The latter is still of great significance in Swabian cooking - Maultaschen, a kind of ravioli-like pasta dish, is famous and very popular. According to legend, the dish was invented by the monks in Maulbronn Abbey, in the north-west of Stuttgart. They were prohibited from eating meat during fasting, so they cut it into small pieces and hid it in the filling of the pasta cases, in the hope that it wouldn't be noticed. Today there are many recipies for Maultaschen. Most of them use ground meat, as well as some ground veal, spinach and parsley. They are classically served in a stock. However they can also be cut into strips and fried in a pan - with bacon and egg, for instance.

When potatoes arrived in the region in the 17th century they quickly became a mainstay of Swabian cuisine. You'll find them in potato salad or turned into Schupfnudeln, a kind of finger-shaped potato dumpling. To make them, the raw potatoes are finely mashed, rolled into finger-shapes, boiled and then fried in a pan. The use of Schupfnudeln is very varied: traditionally they are served with Sauerkraut and bacon, but they can also be turned into a dessert by covering them with powdered sugar and apple puree.

Maultaschen and Schupfnudeln can also be found in the local Baden cuisine in the south-western part of Baden-Württemberg, though here they are far more refined. Benefitting from the sun soaked Rhine valleys and influenced by neighboring Switzerland and France, this region spawned its own gourmet cooking. Typical local dishes include starters like the Baden-style snail soup or Nüssli salad, made of lambs' lettuce. Famous main dishes are Egli (Perch) and Schäufele, which is a kind of flat pork shoulder.

Gourmet cuisine at its best

Seventy-seven restaurants in Baden-Württemberg have been awarded at least one Michelin star, probably the most famous restaurant rating in the world. The high number of excellence stars puts the state at the top of the list in Germany. In the small village of Baiersborn, located in the northern part of the Black Forest, you'll astonishingly find two 3-star chefs, as well as a 2-star chef.

The most famous of these is Harald Wohlfahrt. He is known throughout Germany as the top chef, who for over twenty years has managed to retain his 3-star rating, the highest recognition awarded by the Michelin guide. An impressive record! He cooks French style cuisine, but reinterprets the recipes by using local produce.

"Our focus is on our region, and it's determined by what happens to be in season and available locally," the star chef with the close ties to his home region tells us. Unlike other leading chefs who let their staff prepare the menus, Harald Wohlfahrt sets great store by cooking for his guests personally in his "Schwarzwaldstube" lounge restaurant. So it can come as little surprise that the 35 seats in the restaurant are usually booked up months in advance. The menu offers delicacies like wild duck breast brushed with pine honey and black pepper or red mullet with a lemon coating. The chef changes his menu every two weeks. Wohlfahrt says that his motto is: "Those that don't go with the times, will in time go."

"That means we are wide awake and watch carefully what is happening around us, at home and abroad. We have always gone with the times and adjusted to changes", says the master chef, adding that he intends to continue that way in future.

Land with a long tradition of wine making

A good meal of course demands a good wine. Even the Romans valued the fertile Baden region with its mild climate - creating ideal conditions to grow and make wine. In the 3rd century they already cultivated wine in the region, a tradition that has survived to this day. Different types of soil and diverse grape vines offer a variety of wines and tastes. However beer also plays an important part in southern Germany. Using traditional methods over 180 breweries produce some 1,000 different high quality beers, everything from "Pils" pilsner beer and "Weizen" wheat beer. Apart from regional breweries there are family-run brewers as well as micro-breweries. Most popular among these is the Rothaus Pils called "Tannenzäpfle," which is German for miniature pinecone. The Rothaus Brewery, owned by the state of Baden-Württemberg, is located in the middle of the Black Forest.

A souvenir from the Black forest

The mountainous region offers more culinary specialties than Rothaus beer. So if you are not a huge beer or wine fan, you can find other souvenirs in Baden-Württemberg. For example, there's "Schwarzwälder Schinken" ("Black Forest ham") - Germany's most popular cured ham. The ham is made from the thigh and rump of the haunch of the pig or boar. It has a dark red color and a spicy flavor. A layer of white fat separates the meat from the typical brownish-black rind, a result of the smoking process which is traditionally done using pine and beech wood.

One of Germany's most desired cakes comes from this region: the Black Forest Gateau. However this chocolate and cherry delicacy is best enjoyed on the spot, because the freshly whipped cream does not travel well in any case.