There’s really only one “L” when it comes to Christmas in Germany, and that’s the country’s much-loved Lebkuchen. Invented in the middle ages by monks in Franconia, a region that now lies mostly in Bavaria,Lebkuchenis not dissimilar to gingerbread: soft, warmly spiced and a little bit chewy.
As with just about every culinary specialty in Germany, there are countless regional variations ofthis festive baked sweet, andLebkuchen can range from the heavily spiced to the mild and sweet. However, it generally contains some or all of the usual Christmassy spices – allspice, aniseed, cardamon,cloves, coriander, ginger, nutmeg and/or vanilla – as well as honey and ground nuts (almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts).SomeLebkuchenare given a clear sugar glaze and decorated with nuts; they’re also very popular covered in chocolate.
Lebkuchenherzen:a somewhat harder dough is used to create the large heart-shaped Lebkuchen decorated with icing that you’ll find dangling on coloured strings from the roofs of sweet stalls at Christmas markets – and at festivals throughout the rest of the year.
FAQs
In this post, I'll show you how to make Silesian Weisswurst yourself. It's super tender, juicy and super quick to make.
Is Lebkuchen only at Christmas? ›
The city is famous for it, which means that once the Christmas market opens, you can't swing a cat in this town without knocking over a display of it. Lebkuchen can of course be purchased all year round, and in fact, there was a whole Lebkuchen Week market set up in the middle of the city back in October.
What is the traditional Christmas dish in Germany? ›
Treat guests to a traditional German Christmas dinner with classic dishes like roasted goose legs, braised red cabbage. and dumplings, and don't forget the mulled wine and platter of gorgeous, festive cookies.
What do Germans eat for breakfast on Christmas? ›
A German Christmas Day breakfast
You'll find cold meats and cheeses on the breakfast table all over Germany, but there are all manner of regional variations to the meal such as the festive breads that might appear alongside them, and in the north you'll almost certainly be offered fish.
What is the name of the German sausage? ›
Bratwurst (German: [ˈbʁaːtvʊʁst]) is a type of German sausage made from pork or, less commonly, beef or veal.
What is the German word for sausages? ›
[vʊrst] feminine noun Word forms: Wurst genitive , Würste plural [ˈvʏrstə] sausage; (= Salami) salami; (= wurstförmiges Gebilde) roll, sausage; (inf: = Kot von Hund) dog's mess (inf) jetzt geht es um die Wurst (fig inf) the moment of truth has come (inf)
Does Trader Joe's sell Lebkuchen? ›
Our Chocolate Covered Lebkuchen are popular with a certain crowd, but some folks don't like the nuts and spices in these traditional German gingerbread cookies.
What is Lebkuchen known as in the US? ›
Lebkuchen (pronounced leyb-koo-kuh n) is a centuries-old German spiced treat traditionally baked during the winter holiday season. While lebkuchen is often translated to English as gingerbread, it's not exactly what most Americans envision when they think of gingerbread.
What does Lebkuchen mean in English? ›
noun. leb·ku·chen. ˈlāpˌküḵən. plural lebkuchen. : a Christmas cookie usually made with honey, brown sugar, almonds, candied fruit peel, and spices.
What do Germans call Santa? ›
Santa Claus - Der Weihnachtsmann
The term Weihnachtsmann is a very generic German term for Father Christmas, St. Nicholas, or Santa Claus. The German Weihnachtsmann is a fairly recent Christmas tradition having little if any religious or folkloric background.
Weihnachten (German: [ˈvaɪ̯naxtn̩]) is the observance of what is commonly known in English as Christmas in the German-speaking countries such as Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
How do Germans eat eggs? ›
However, traditionally Germans boil their eggs. We love to boil them just about where the egg yolk is firm on the outside but soft and runny on the inside.
What do Germans drink on Christmas? ›
Glühwein, as mulled wine is known in Germany, is essentially red wine heated with spices, lemon and sugar - generally cinnamon and cloves are used in all recipes, with some adding aniseed or vanilla. A variation on the mulled wine is the Feuerzangenbowle.
What is the name of the sausage at Oktoberfest? ›
One of the most famous of German sausages, second only to the Frankfurter Würstchen, the bratwurst is typically made from veal, beef or pork. The recipe for the actual sausage vary from region to region and has to date, over 40 varieties.
What does Glühwein mean in German? ›
This mulled wine recipe is for the German Glühwein, which literally translates to glow-wine, because of how you feel after you've been drinking tiny mugs outside in December.
What is the German version of Krampus? ›
Krampus is believed to have originated in Germany, and his name derives from the German word Krampen, which means “claw.” Krampus was thought to have been part of pagan rituals for the winter solstice. According to legend, he is the son of Hel, the Norse god of the underworld.
What does Krampus mean in English? ›
Krampus is thought to come from either Bavarian: krampn, meaning "dead", "rotten", or from the German: kramp/krampen, meaning "claw". The Krampus is considered to be a half-goat, half-demon monster in some legends. Its role is to punish bad children or scare them into being good.
