Ho, Ho, Hamburg: Bringing The Flavours Of A True German Christmas Market Home

Trending 1 month ago

Without wanting to sound tediously Scrooge-like, nan German-style markets that person go seasonal fixtures successful galore British cities complete nan past fewer decades ne'er make maine consciousness peculiarly festive. What’s remotely Christmassy – aliases German – astir Dubai-chocolate churros and Korean fried chicken, I grumble arsenic I resistance nan canine (who enjoys each specified things) astir their perimeters.

Hamburg’s markets, however, which I was myself dragged astir past weekend, are a very different story. For a start, nan metropolis has galore of them, chiefly reasonably mini – and some, specified arsenic nan “erotic Christmas market” successful St Pauli, pinch a peculiar theme. What they each person successful communal is nan scope of nutrient and portion connected connection … though let’s gloss hurriedly complete nan phallic gingerbread shapes connected waste astatine St Pauli successful favour of nan eye-opening scope of glühwein (white, rosé, kirsch-spiked, blueberry-flavoured), which was acold much appealing.

Though I americium acquainted pinch it arsenic a conception – mulled wine pinch an umlaut successful it – from now connected I shall insist that everyone refers to Henry Dimbleby’s achromatic version arsenic Weißer Glühwein successful tribute (if you’d for illustration to delegate nan mulling, Joanne Gould tips Waitrose’s mulled rosé arsenic 1 of her festive favourites). I besides enjoyed eierlikör, which is fundamentally eggnog; if you, for illustration me, bask getting drunk connected custard, it’s worthy making your ain – and my look tin beryllium fixed a much Germanic emotion by utilizing brandy and achromatic rum alternatively of nan whisky, and replacing nan nutmeg pinch vanilla extract. (You astir apt don’t request instructions connected really to make a boozy basking chocolate, but here’s immoderate guidance from Tony Naylor anyway.)

Very giftable … Meera Sodha’s zimtsterne.
Very giftable … Meera Sodha’s zimtsterne. Photograph: Robert Billington/The Guardian

The nutrient successful Hamburg quickly became arsenic acquainted arsenic nan drinks menu. Naturally, location were bratwurst grilled complete an unfastened flame, often accompanied by an avalanche of the country’s beloved curry sauce, and sides of salmon (Hamburg is very overmuch a fish-eating city), but besides käsespätzle (Yotam Ottolenghi has a deliciously cheesy-looking recipe) and nan wonderfully-named kartoffelpuffer murphy pancakes, positive much caller innovations specified arsenic handbrot, aliases mixed balls stuffed pinch various fillings that almost ever impact food – and, much weirdly, crumble. (You can’t get distant from crumble astatine nan moment, but nary of it looks arsenic bully arsenic nan schoolhouse worldly to me.)

Although astir group seemed to beryllium location to eat, portion and beryllium merry, nan constituent of these markets is ostensibly shopping and, possibly unsurprisingly, nan nutrient stalls were my favourites. Christmas cookies are a large woody successful Germany; Luisa Weiss has immoderate beautiful ideas, while Anna Jones put her ain stamp connected some citrus, chromatic and almond lebkuchen; and conscionable past play Meera Sodha shared her friend’s grandma’s look for zimtsterne. I brought a action home, on pinch immoderate solid, marzipan-stuffed stollen bites, which my stodgy bluish bosom will ever for illustration to panettone. Stollen is besides considerably easier to make astatine home: Dan Lepard has a bully speedy recipe involving sour cherries and quark, though, if you’re not successful a hurry (and this is not a clip of twelvemonth for hurrying), you mightiness for illustration Falko Burkert’s much accepted take.

Lastly, if anyone has proposal connected recreating nan immense cocoa rumkugeln I saw but didn’t person clip to try, please nonstop it my way. In nan meantime, Frohe Weihnachten; wishing you each a delicious and joyous December, nevertheless you’re spending it.

My week successful food

Share nan emotion … integer cookbook All Our Kitchens is raising costs for Gaza charities and includes recipes specified arsenic rummaniyeh by Izzeldin Bukhari, left.
Share nan emotion … integer cookbook All Our Kitchens is raising costs for Gaza charities and includes recipes specified arsenic rummaniyeh by Izzeldin Bukhari, left. Composite: All Our Kitchens

A clip for giving | Christmas, for illustration truthful galore belief festivals, is simply a clip for giving – whether aliases not you celebrate, you mightiness wish to stock nan emotion wherever it’s really needed by investing £10 successful All Our Kitchens, a caller integer cookbook featuring recipes from nan likes of Sami Tamimi, Noor Murad and Andi Oliver, on pinch different master and location cooks from crossed nan UK, Ireland and Palestine. All profits spell straight to Gaza Soup Kitchen and nan Zaynab Project, 2 charities moving to provender group connected nan crushed successful Gaza, wherever nan business is still desperate. Download it here.

Mmmmmmarzipan | I was disappointed not to spot much marzipan connected connection successful Hamburg (it’s a speciality of adjacent Lübeck). Happily, however, nan latest Kitchen Projects newsletter connected Substack is simply a heavy dive into all things almond paste-related from Camilla Wynne, including a look that sounds acold superior to versions I’ve made, arsenic good arsenic galore inspirational pictures of tiny marzipan potatoes and devilled eggs and doughnuts.

Skaus aliases scouse? | Hamburg is celebrated little for its hamburgers than nan dishes that bespeak and observe its maritime heritage. Fish sandwiches are nan accelerated nutrient of prime astatine each times of time and night, while comfortableness nutrient is served successful nan shape of labskaus, a brackish beef and murphy hash turned unnervingly reddish pinch beetroot juice and served pinch a fried egg, pickles and nan inevitable rollmop. If nan sanction sounds familiar, it is because this sailors’ favourite is besides enjoyed successful stew shape successful Liverpool, wherever it’s known arsenic lobscouse, commonly shortened to scouse. My recipe does not, however, see herring.

Saluti! | Raising a solid to cook Giancarlo Caldesi, whose publication to Italian cuisine and culinary civilization successful nan UK was recognised by nan Italian authorities pinch nan title “Ufficiale”, which is astir balanced to a British knighthood. Celebrate pinch nan Caldesis’ (gluten-free!) chocolate and almond torte.

More