Today is the last day in August, and I’m just a few posts away from wrapping up this series on our European travel adventure.
As a self-avowed foodie, I often say the best window into a culture is via its grocery stores and restaurants. So today I’m going to share a hodgepodge of pictures that offer a fairly accurate sampling of what we ate and drank.
I’m sure there is a whole level of gourmet cuisine that exists well beyond the casual dining we experienced, but I am also confident this post is a good representation of what is available.
First, I have to mention the Chanterelle mushrooms. Here is a great description from the “gallowaywildfoods.com” website: “Their elegant beauty and subtle fruity aroma belie their true robust, earthy personality. For me they are works of high art, illuminating their mossy forest realm with golden yolky brilliance.”
This is truly native German food at its best. Fresh, hunted by enthusiasts, with a short late summer window of availability, many restaurants offer a special seasonal Chanterelle menu. I ordered at every opportunity.
The soups were the best – served with rough, hearty local bread, then a good Chanterelle salad coming in second. The mushroom also works well in sauces, with seafood, and in with a good selection of seasonal veggies.
For a beverage, I simply stuck with the local Pilsner. The Saxon Radeberger was my go-to, but there is also a specifically Dresden Pilsner that was very good.
And the bakeries! Oh. My. Goodness. A bakery literally every couple of hundred yards or so. Croissants, pastries, cakes, breads. Of course, that always meant an accompanying cappuccino. Maybe it’s the atmosphere, drinking on a town square in the open air, but cappuccino in Europe is nowhere near the same drink as its American counterpart.
Talking of atmosphere, German food enjoyed outdoors is the best. Courtyards, lawns, sidewalks, town squares, decks. You name it, almost every restaurant offered it and we would always head out into the air.
So here is a sampling of photos representing our experiences with food. They are not in order, a few were taken in Prague, and several are my preparations in Andrew and Alicia’s apartment.
Eat local. That is all I can say no matter where in the world you are. If the locals like it, chances are it is going to be good.
Peace, and good eating – DEREK
Oh my goodness, right?? If you like to eat, go to Germany! They really feed you there. Good food, good wine, good friends–the perfect combination. Sometimes life is just really good.