Three Seasonal German Delicacies
One of the things I love about Germany is the country’s apparent love for seasonal eating. At home, it’s dangerously easy to ignore the seasons; there’s always a way to get your hands on almost-delicious peaches, raspberries, or asparagus regardless of whether it’s anywhere near in season.For some produce, this is true in Germany too. But, for other things, celebrating what’s in season takes precedence over year-round access to certain foods. It’s as if there’s a cultural awareness that you appreciate things more if you relish them during the few weeks that they’re at their peak, then wait ‘til the next year to have them again.Here are three seasonal German delicacies I’ve had the pleasure of experiencing myself. But, since I’ve only been here at certain times of the year, I’m sure there are more I’m missing! Let us know in the comments if you know of other seasonal German fruits or vegetables!
White Asparagus
I first noticed this phenomenon on my first trip to Germany. My German skills were even worse than they are now, so I second- and triple-guessed myself when I saw this word “Spargelzeit” popping up all over the place. After all, as nice as “asparagus time” sounds, it doesn’t make any sense. Right?Wrong.Germans take asparagus very seriously. During “asparagus time,” which runs from April through June 24th, everything is about asparagus. And not just boring green asparagus, either, but rather a plump, mild white version. The white color is due to a lack of sunlight rather than a difference in species; white asparagus is traditionally grown underground.Expect to find asparagus on just about every restaurant’s menu during this period. In fact, many restaurants post special boards advertising their Spargelzeit specialties.
Bärlauch
Germany’s reaction to bärlauch mystifies me. It’s one of the best foods I’ve ever tasted, combining the allium flavors of garlic and leeks with a certain wild edge. It tastes like it comes from a forest rather than a farm. It’s delicious as a soup, pesto, or chopped and sprinkled on just about anything. Unlike many other alliums, you eat the leaves rather than the stem or bulb.And, for some reasons, Germany seems to be casually accepting of it rather than wildly enthusiastic, as I am. The attitude of many Germans I’ve asked has been along the lines of, “Oh, that stuff is nice when it’s around.”Bärlauch is only in season for a few weeks each spring, during which times many supermarkets have only a few bunches of it. (I know this because I may have bought a store’s entire supply a few times.) The rest of the year, you can buy jars of bärlauch pesto, but the flavor pales in comparison to the fresh stuff.
Pfifferlinge
In late summer, Pfifferlinge -- or chanterelles to us English speakers -- show up. While mushroom season isn’t embraced with quite the same wholehearted, wild enthusiasm as Spargelzeit, these precious mushrooms show up frequently on menus.Based on talking to a German friend, I suspect that half the pleasure of Pfifferling season is the suspense and gamble associated with these mushrooms. If they’re prepared badly, he explained to me, they taste flavorless and watery. When they’re good mushrooms that have been well-prepared, though, they’re incredibly good. I guess it’s something like buying a scratch-off lottery ticket each time you order them. Whether you win or not, you’ve still had the pleasure of possibility.If one is brave enough to try preparing them at home, they’re sold at most supermarkets and farmer’s markets at this time of year. They seem to always come in the same little woven wooden mini-crates when they’re sold, maybe to evoke the image of collecting them into a wicker basket.