Culinary Highlights in Germany's South West
Culinary pleasures are also accompanied by traditional Baden wines. Connoisseurs will appreciate the full flavour of wines like Gutedel, Müller-Thurgau, Riesling, Silvaner, Grau- and Weißburgunder, Bacchus, Chardonnay, Nobling, Muskateller, Kerner, Traminer and Blau Spätburgunder.
Wine cellars invite guests to sample their best vintage and new specialities, while wine festivals are celebrated throughout the entire summer and autumn. In Breisach, in the south of the Kaiserstuhl Mountain, Europe’s most significant wine cellar is to be found.
A proper Vesper is typical fare for the Black Forest region and is taken between meals and comprises hearty homemade sausage, smoked trout and Black Forest ham with crusty farmer’s bread.
Even today, the local residents of the Black Forest eat a Vesper in place of their evening meal. For breakfast or as a small snack – these are the occasions when Black Forest ham appears on the table. The discovery of ham both as a tasty ingredient in other dishes as well as a delicious culinary specialty in its own right is reflected in its use in many of the asparagus dishes of the region. The secret of “authentic” Black Forest ham: a long maturation. The production process lasts around three months. Luckily, every good chef in the Black Forest always has a good stock of well matured ham.
Whether it is to round off the evening meal or after the Vesper, a “Wässerli” is traditional. A high percentage alcoholic fruit schnapps made from cherries, plums, pears or greengages, it has been made in this region for generations. The Black Forest has the highest density of distilleries in the world, with over 14,000, and some of the more extravagant schnapps, such as “Zibärtle”, made from sloe plums, are produced here.
In a place where culinary pleasures enjoy such a high priority, gourmet chefs are also found. More than 430 guest houses, restaurants and hotels in the official gourmet guides are decorated with bonnets, stars, diamonds, cooking spoons or gourmet products. No matter where you stay of the 250 holiday places available, good food is within easy reach. Here, you can download an overview of the gourmet’s addresses.