Hello and welcome to my first blog *yay 👏🏼. I’m super excited to share my knowledge with all of you. Thank you for finding my page and for having an interest in German cuisine. I hope you will have as much fun replicating these recipes as I have blogging about them.
Before we get into recipes, you’re probably wondering if you have the right spices at home to create some delicious German meals!? So, let’s go through a typical German spice cabinet. Don’t be afraid – most of the spices you probably already have at home 😉.
Day-To-Day Spices
- Salt
- I love to use Pink Himalayan Salt. It is often said to be the most beneficial as well as the cleanest salt available on this planet today. Below is an interesting article to learn more about Himalayan salt and it’s amazing benefits.
- Himalayan salt can be found in any grocery store.
- http://fitlife.tv/12-incredible-things-that-happen-when-you-swap-table-salt-for-himalayan-sea-salt/nutrition/juicing/
- Pepper
- Paprika
- Vegeta
- Vegeta is a condiment which is a mixture primarily of salt with flavor enhancers, spices and various vegetables developed in 1959 by a Bosnian Croat scientist Zlata Bartl, and has become a product sold worldwide. I use it a lot in my cooking, it brings some great flavors into the food.
- Vegeta can be found at local World Markets; selected grocery stores or online through Amazon or GermanDeli.com
- Parsley
Recipe-Specific Spices
- Bay leaves
- Nutmeg
- Caraway
- Mustard Seeds
- Summer Savory
- Summer savory aka Bohnenkraut in German, is considered a must-have spice for cooking beans, especially green beans.
- I have not been able to locate this spice other than through online retailers such as Amazon and Germandeli.com
- Chives
- Dill
- Cinnamon
- Cloves
Spice-Mixes
Some recipes call for special spice mixes. You’ll be able to buy them through online retailers, but I will make a special post at a later time to show you how to make them yourself. But of course – feel free to buy them online at your convenience 😊.
Here is the list of the spice mixes that will be incl. in some of my recipes:
- Sour Pot Roast Mix (Sauerbraten Gewuerz)
- Pickling Spice Mix (Einmachgewuerz)
- Vegetable Broth (Suppengruen)
- Gravy Mix (Bratensosse)
- Gingerbread Mix (Lebkuchen Gewuerz)
- Vanilla Sugar (Vanillezucker)
- Mullet Wine Mix (Gluehwein Gewuerz)
Additional Must-Haves
- Olive Oil
- Don’t save $ on a good quality olive oil. A simple test for a “good” olive oil is to taste a little on a spoon. Not rancid, real olive oil will have a fruity taste in the front of your mouth and a peppery taste in the back of your mouth.
- I like to use “Napa Valley Naturals – Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil” (available at any major grocery store)
- Vinegar
- Mostly white vinegar or white wine vinegar. I have been using white whine vinegar the last few years, it brings in more flavor into recipes. But just good plain-old white vinegar is absolutely fine 👌🏼.
- Mustard
- Some recipes call for mustard. I personally don’t care for the standard grocery store yellow mustard. The bright yellow color alone just looks manufactured and most likely has more chemicals and fillers than actual mustard seeds.
- If I can’t get a hold of German mustard (Loewensenf, Thomy), I go for a good organic Dijon mustard from local grocery stores (Annie’s, Sir Kensington’s).
Below is a picture of my spice cabinet. I bought these magnetic spice tins a year ago when we remodeled our kitchen. I always had my cabinet full of spices, unorganized and when I needed a spice, it took forever to dig through to find what I was looking for. These tins are affordable, pretty looking, easy to use and just make it an overall organized kitchen which makes it fun to cook in 😎.
Keep up with traditional German recipes! 