What makes salt so precious?
Thursday, March 27th @ 1:34 PM
When do we ever give salt a second thought? We rarely appreciate things available for us at the snap of a finger. In earlier times salt was difficult to obtain, and so it was a highly valued trade item, and many historical trade routes have been termed as salt roads. Some of which had been established as early as in the Bronze Age. And wasn´t it until the twentieth century, that salt was one of the prime movers of national economies and even wars? This wonderful parable reminds us to give this everyday articles the appreciation it truely deserves:
"THE KING'S DAUGHTERS."
The King's three little daughters, 'neath the palace window straying,
Had fallen into earnest talk that put an end to playing;
And the weary King smiled once again to hear what they were saying;
"It is I who love our father best," the eldest daughter said;
"I am the oldest princess," and her pretty face grew red;
"What is there none can do without? I love him more than bread."
Then said the second princess, with her bright blue eyes aflame;
"Than bread, a common thing like bread! Thou hast not any shame!
Glad am I, it is I, not thou, called by our mother's name;
I love him with a better love than one so tame as thine,
More than—Oh! what then shall I say that is both bright and fine?
And is not common? Yes, I know. I love him more than wine."
Then the little youngest daughter, whose speech would sometimes halt,
For her dreamy way of thinking, said, "Nay, you are both in fault.
'Tis I who love our father best, I love him more than salt."
Shrill little shrieks of laughter greeted her latest word,
As the two joined hands exclaiming. "But this is most absurd!"
And the King, no longer smiling, was grieved that he had heard,
For the little youngest daughter, with her eyes of steadfast grey,
Could always move his tenderness, and charm his care away;
"She grows more like her mother dead," he whispered day by day,
"But she is very little and I will find no fault,
That while her sisters strive to see who most shall me exalt,
She holds me nothing dearer than a common thing like salt."
The portly cook was standing in the courtyard by the spring,
He winked and nodded to himself, "That little quiet thing
Knows more than both the others, as I will show the King."
That afternoon, at dinner, there was nothing fit to eat.
The King turned angrily away from soup and fish and meat,
And he found a cloying sweetness in the dishes that were sweet;
"And yet," he muttered, musing, "I cannot find the fault;
Not a thing has tasted like itself but this honest cup of malt."
Said the youngest princess, shyly: "Dear father, they want salt."
A sudden look of tenderness shone on the King's dark face,
As he sat his little daughter in the dead queen's vacant place,
And he thought: "She has her mother's heart; Ay, and her mother's grace;
Great love through channels will find its surest way.
It waits not state occasions, which may not come or may;
It comforts and it blesses, hour by hour, and day by day."
What is typical German cuisine?
Thursday, March 27th @ 11:07 AM
Definitely there exists the cliché that German cuisine is best known for Sauerkraut and Bratwurst and that´s what the world expects Germans to eat most of the time. It´s no accident that the British like to refer to Germans as “Krauts”, especially if they want to make some disrespectful comments on an issue about Germany. Ok, there are a few more dishes perceived as German style cooking, like Sauerbraten, Wiener Schnitzel, Rotkraut, Spaetzle, Apfelstrudel or Lebkuchen.
More generally speaking, the prevailing opinion people from abroad have about German cuisine, is that Germans mostly eat sustaining food, which is hearty, robust and filling--as befits in their view a country with a cold weather climate. Highlights include an endless variety of sausages and "wurst," cabbages and sauerkraut, noodles and dumplings and, of course, beer.
In reality Germany does have a great variety of different regional styles and some of those regional dishes have become familiar in all of Germany, thus can be found throughout the country and consequentially those dishes came to be considered as typical German cuisine. Often the regional food is influenced by the cooking styles of the bordering countries as well.
Analysing the trends in the past years, the observer will perceive quite a change in Germany`s eating behaviour. There can be identified different tendencies.
On one hand, at the high end of the market, there is a rising appreciation for fine food, which is leading to a new eating culture cultivated by a growing eating elite and is contributing to the blossoming of the restaurant scene. Today Germany has more three-star restaurants than any other country in Europe, except for France.
On the other end an increasing number of Germans get attracted to fast food, or prepared, processed food, containing less nutritional value and more sugar and (hidden) fats. Interesting to note that another alarming development is also being registered. That is a growing list of eating induced maladies that are becoming more prevalent in Germany, like heart diseases, juvenile diabetes, childhood obesity and adult adiposity.
A third line to be noticed is the rapid growth of the health food market. This market segment has amazing annual growth rates, resulting in a shortage of wholesome food products. Especially for environmental and health conscious people it´s today in vogue to stay away from sustaining food with lots of fat and to look for “light and healthy” food instead.
Therefore, instead of speaking in general of an eating culture in Germany, we should rather discourse about a divergence of cultures.
