traditional german breakfast
The traditional German Breakfast is called Frühstück. It has a bread roll called “Brotchen” which means “small bread.” Brotchen is a simple yeast bread enriched with egg on which butter and jam are spread. Sometimes variations are served including “Zwiebelbroetchen” (onion), “Kaesebroetchen” (cheese), or “Schinkenbroetchen” (ham). Seed may also be added, like sesame or poppy seeds.
Often soft boiled eggs are served accompanied by ham or sausages. German sausages are lighter in that those that we are used to in the US because the EU has very strict guidelines about additives. The sausages also have a texture or consistency like a hot dog because they tend to grind the meat finer.
The German pancake, though not that common is usually dusted with confectioners’ sugar rather than drown in syrup. It is really more like a crepe than what is commonly thought of as a pancake.
The modern German is as likely, on a daily basis, to opt for a little cereal for his morning meal. The cereal that is most popular is a Swiss import called muesli. Muesli is a mixture of grains, seeds, dried fruit, and nuts. Usually the grains are rolled oats, but may include rye, wheat and barley. Commercial mueslis contain sugar and whey so they have a sweeter taste. Some varieties contain honey, spices, and chocolate. The original Bircher-Benner recipe is proportionately the opposite of most muesli available in today’s supermarket varieties. The original recipe calls for far more fruit than grains, while boxed muesli contains mostly grains with relatively little fruit.
