Germany Blog

Stories, tips, and reflections about life, travel, and culture in Germany.

  • We Speak Everything PLUS Standard German :-)

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    If you’ve wandered around Baden-Württemberg you might have seen signs that read: Wir können alles. Außer Hochdeutsch.

    Say what?

    Translated, that means: We can do anything, expect speak Standard German.

    What, they don’t speak German in Germany? Is this a joke? Maybe you thought you lost your marbles.

    It’s more complicated than just speaking German in Germany—we speak High German, West Low German, East Low German, East Frisian, Low Saxon, Upper Sorbian, Lower Sorbian, Lower Silesian, Swabian, Baden, etc etc…

    Whew, that’s a whole lotta language going on.

    Just so you’re aware, not all the languages spoken in Germany are derived from German. Nope, over in Lower Lusatia, for example, you’ll hear (or read, since signs are bilingual) Lower Sorbian, which is based on a Slavic language.

    Upper Sorbian is spoken by around 40,000 people in Upper Lusatia, which is an area found within Saxony (and cities like Bautzen).

    And in Lower Saxony, almost a quarter of million people speak East Frisian (also called East Frisian-Low Saxon), which kind of sounds like Dutch. Hmm, these are the tea drinking folks of the country (unlike most of the coffee devouring rest of the country)—so why not speak something else, right? ;-)

    West Low German is the biggie, spoken by around 4 million people. You’ll hear this dialect in Hamburg, parts of Schleswig-Holstein, Saxony-Anhalt, North Rhine-Westphalia, and even Denmark.

    Doesn’t it seem like we’re all over the map? Yeah, it should—because just about everywhere in Germany, someone’s speaking another language, it seems.

    I have to admit, it was the Lower and Upper Silesian that had me confused. Upper Silesian doesn’t have German roots (it has Polish beginnings), while Lower Silesian (spoken by around 23,000 people) does.

    Maybe Germany’s motto should be that we can speak everything, PLUS Standard German. ;-)

  • Insects In German Cuisine, Anyone?

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    Gag. Ick. Um, excuse me. I’m trying to hold down my lunch as I type this. Shouldn’t have been digging around that site, so I guess it’s my own fault.

    I’ll be the first one to sing the praises of fine German cuisine from the rooftops. But, bugs? That’s a bit much for me.

    It isn’t, however, for a man by the name of Thomas Knack. He decided to sell all sorts of (dare I say it?) bugs for sale on his German website Braidy Snack.

    German health officials kind of had a cow (do you blame them?). Yet to be fair, to Herr Knack dung beetles, scorpions, grubs, and spiders have long been sold in places like exotic Thailand, as well as plenty other towns & cities across the Pacific, Asia, and South America.

    Mr. Knack and scientists state that bugs are full of vitamins and plenty of protein. Bamboo worms are said to taste like ham. I say, why not just eat the ham? And grasshoppers have a flavor like chicken. Again, give me the chicken.

    You don’t have to order your grubs online; you can stop in at the Weinkeller on Linienstrasse 147, Berlin—just in case you can’t wait for your, aack, insecty treat to arrive in the mail.

    Ugh, I can’t believe I’m writing this. ;-)

    Doesn’t a fine Cannibal Sandwich (meat, onions, mustard on rye bread) sound better? Yeah, I’ll take that over some grass moth munchies any day of the week.

    It’s no wonder that Mr. Knack has had a hard time getting local folks to try his wares. This is a land of Black Forest Ham and Black Forest Cake (made with delicious cherries, not crunchy cooties).

    I’m also pretty sure that Andrew Zimmern on his Bizarre Foods Blog didn’t mention all these crawly delicacies when he came to Germany. I’d like to think I would have remembered that. But, I could be wrong, since I’m so inclined to tune out when bugs are involved.

    What do you think? Does the bug treat thing sound like it could make its way into German cuisine?

    Nah, bug (I mean, but) good luck to Mr. Knack for trying.

  • Bavarian Cuisine, Famous Around The World

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    You can probably tell when I’m hungry, because it seems like that when I write blogs on Germany’s most amazing cuisine.

    So where’s the place that piqued my culinary interest this time?

    Bavaria, my friends, good ol’ Bavaria.

    Bavaria is a pretty big place, and it’s known for three types of regional dishes—Franconian, traditional Bavarian, and Swabian.

    Since Swabia encompasses parts of Baden-Württemberg, I’m only going to give you the scoop on some of the best of Franconia and traditional Bavaria.

    Franconia

    It’s not uncommon to see both Rotkraut and Weisskraut served as a side dish to schnitzel or potato dumplings. Rotkraut (that’s the red stuff) is a bit sweeter than the white (I mean green cabbage), so expect it when you eat it.

    Spargel (asparagus) is also common in Franconian cooking; and you’ll find it on a menu from April to June. It’s chocked full of vitamins and minerals, so not only is the “king’s veggie” delicious—it’s good for you too.

    The Knieküchle isn’t all that great for you (it’s a deep fried sweet bread), but oh is it simply divine. A nice way to end a meal, I must say.

    Traditional Bavarian Cuisine

    Sure, you’ve heard of the pretzel—well thanks to Bavaria, this has become a modern day snack. However, that’s not the only contribution the region has given to the world.

    Ever heard of apple strudel? Of course you have! This is a yummy dessert made with apples, cinnamon, and often rum. Oh, that’s why I like it so much. ;-)

    But, before you have dessert you got to eat something normal, right? Try Wiener Schnitzel or Schweine (pork) Schnitzel. My Italian-American friends call it a cutlet, but I ain’t splittin’ hairs, OK?

    For a starter, try the simple yet delicious Kartoffelsuppe, a potato soup made with bacon, onion, celery, and carrots.

    If you’ve come to Munich you might have heard people talking about Weisswurst. This is a sausage that has its own set of “rules” to eat it by—never after noon (and I mean precisely at noon), never consumed with a knife & fork (use your hands), and mustard is generally the only acceptable condiment. Although…

    I am one of those who willingly and frequently dismisses these rules…

    If I wasn’t hungry before, I certainly am now. I think I better go get a schnitzel and some apple strudel before I eat my keyboard.

    And the next time I get hungry—I’ll bring you another blog post on German cuisine, OK?

  • Is Your Writing Full Of Hot Air?

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    Germany has been a leader in innovations for centuries, but now there’s a meter to measure whether you’re full of manure. Oh, isn’t that just a nice way of saying that you very well might be full of…

    Nevermind, this is a family-oriented website.

    Writers (of German or English) beware, because leave it to us no-nonsense Germans to come up with a website (www.Blablameter.com) that’ll “rate” your words for its level of bull.

    If you’re used to using big words (I call them dollar-fifty words), or “bombastic phrases” then you’re sure to score over a “1.” That just a nice way of saying you’re full of hot-air.

    Yeah, that’s a nice way to put it.

    I did a little homework myself, just so you know, copying a number of articles on German Cities that I scanned through the website. I’m happy to report not a one that I submitted scored the dreaded 1 (or higher). YES!

    Blablameter isn’t the only new thing to come out of Germany lately. Lufthansa, Germany’s national airline, is testing a new biofuel on flights from Frankfurt to Hamburg. And the Technical University Munich is working on an affordable electric car (called the Mute).

    Innovation that’s eco-friendly. I like it.

    The Mute and biofuel aren’t the only ways that innovation and earth-responsible behavior come together. The Deutsche Bahn just signed a renewable energy deal. Even better!

    Did I mention that Google’s funding (more than 4 million Euro) a new institute in Berlin, get this, on the Internet’s impact?

    OK, maybe this isn’t eco-friendly, but it very well be socially-responsible.

    Don’t laugh at all these new gadgets, websites, or studies—Germany’s been at the forefront of inventions for over 500 years.

    Did you know that toothpaste, teabags, and coffee filters were all invented by Germans?

    I know I’ll be giving thanks to these folks after I’ve brushed my minty fresh teeth and have a cup of grindless filled coffee (which I have time to drink since I don’t have to worry about my words here at MyGermanCity.com being full of hot air). ;-)

  • Superstitions In Germany

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    Yeah there are a lot of pages on MyGermanCity.com that have to do with our good ol’ German history. But, if you’re reading this thinking you’re going to find something out about Dark Ages (that period in history between the fall of the Roman Empire and the Middle Ages) this ain’t it.

    This is all about superstitions and Old Wives’ Tales from Germany that have something to do with everything from cleaning to warding off the Devil. And I have to thank D. L. Ashliman for providing us with a great list of Superstitions from Germany.

    One disclaimer though, some of these might seem downright sexist or plain odd, but I got a good chuckle out of ’em… and a few I do myself, without ever understanding why. Until now. ;-)

    One is that it’s not good to kill spiders, which I do not do, because spiders eat other bugs—so by killing them, you’re increasing other creepy-crawly critters. (Well, thinking about it, it’s actually not a superstition… it’s a fact; so let’s cancel that one.)

    Another states that if a stork builds a nest on your roof (or chimney) it’s an omen for a long, wealthy life.

    Uh, can someone coax a stork to do that on my house, please? ;-)

    And while people seem to think that just touching a chimney sweep is good luck, Germans know you actually got to shake hands with him for the luck to rub off on you.

    One superstition that has to do with your home is to bring bread and salt as a housewarming gift so that the owners will never go hungry. How thoughtful.

    Here’s a creepy one… Rainwater from a tombstone removes freckles. Since I don’t have freckles, I haven’t tried it to see if it works. Another creepy one is to wash the clothes of the recently deceased—otherwise they won’t rest in peace.

    While some superstitions are meant to bring luck, some are meant to keep bad luck from happening.

    Guys, whatever you do, don’t walk between two old women in the morning—it’s supposed to make your whole day be sour with bad luck.

    And Ladies, if you’ve given birth in the last six weeks—you’re not to be left alone; because this is when the Devil has the most power over you. Also, you’re not supposed to answer any question a witch might ask you—it’s said she’ll take something from you.

    With any good luck, she’ll take away any bad luck you’ve got. ;-)

    Bottom line with all those superstitions? For me, if you believe that a certain superstition is true, then it is true for you. And if you don’t believe in them then they’re not true for you.