Glories of German Cooking Trivia Quiz

Answer: Juniper berries

Like many German dishes, Sauerbraten was born of practicality. It transforms a fairly tough and economical cut - originally horsemeat, today it's mostly beef bottom round - into a savory treat. The acidic marinade tenderizes the roast over the course of time, up to 10 days if you're careful.

The key lies in the multiple aromatic spices in the marinade. Cloves, nutmeg, bay leaves and juniper berries are typical. Ginger snaps can make a tasty difference. Allspice works too, but it isn't traditional. Be creative!

Answer: There's no cheese involved

There's no cheese in Leberkäse. The Bavarian variety usually has no liver in it, either. Leberkäse is made from various ground meats and onions, baked in a loaf pan. It tastes like (and resembles) bologna. May I recommend a warm slice about 1/4 inch thick, on a hearty roll, with coarse-grain mustard and a stein of bier?

Answer: Pickled herring

A pickeled herring fillet is rolled up around a filling; usually a pickle, pickled onions or olives. It's great as an appetizer or for lunch, eaten as-is or unrolled onto some bread. Rollmops is also a traditional remedy for seasickness and hang-overs - another instance of German culinary practicality!

Answer: Kaiserschmarrn

The Kaiser was Franz Josef of Austria - he loved fluffy pancakes. So do millions of Bavarians, who eagerly adopted the dish. "Schmarrn" means scratching or smearing. Ah well.

Light sweet pancake batter is poured into the pan, and broken up as it cooks. You can add nuts, fruit or raisins to the batter, though it's not traditional. The torn-up pancakes are customarily served with a plum copote, or try lingonberry sauce instead. Taste it and forget about the silliness of the name.

Answer: Quark

There's a bit of physics involved, but the name has nothing to do with subatomic particles.

Quark is made by heating soured milk until it coagulates, and then straining it. The result is similar to cottage cheese or ricotta. Quark can be used in salads, baking and desserts, or eaten with fruit preserves.

The name derives from the old German word for dwarf. It distinguishes the small curds (and, traditionally, the small quantities) of Quark from other dairy products like true cottage cheese.

Answer: The meat is hidden inside a noodle

"Maultasche" means feed bag, as in horses and such. The dish is much more appetizing than the name.

Maultaschen are similar to ravioli or wontons, and are usually served in soup. The filling contains ground meat - but since it's hidden inside, God can't see that you're eating it during Lent. The dish is also known as Herrgottsbescheißerle - "little God cheaters." Giving the Swabians their due, Maultaschen were supposedly invented by Cistercian monks, so the dish has a modicum of clerical approval.

Answer: The German ones are pure pork with mutton intestine casings

Frankfurters from Frankfurt are made from cured pork in a natural mutton casing, and are pre-cooked. Heat them in water for a few minutes, but please don't roast them. Originally, true Frankfurters were square in cross-section. This was because they were stacked in boxes for shipment. The square shape isn't legally required. Modern Frankfurt Frankfurters are round.

Germans call the American version "Wiener Würstchen." This variant, using a pork-beef mix or all beef, was invented by an expatriate Frankfurt butcher in Vienna, Austria in the late 18th century.

Answer: Veal cutlet

Whether it's veal, pork, beef or poultry, the basic preparation is the same: a boneless cut is pounded with a hammer or similar implement to make it thin and tender; it's coated with a mix of egg, flour and breadcrumbs; it's fried or sauteed until golden brown.

In Germany and Austria, only veal can be called "Wiener Schnitzel" - it's the law. If you're making Schnitzel with pork, call it "Wiener Schnitzel vom Schwein (Vienna Schnitzel From a Pig) or "Schnitzel nach Wiener Art" (Schnitzel in the Viennese Manner), so you don't upset the food police.

Answer: He promoted cultivation of potatoes

Spanish explorers brought the potato from South America to Europe in the 16th century, but it didn't really take root in Germany. Too bad - it was generally nourishing, had a high yield per acre, and was cheaper than bread. German farmers clung to their traditional crops, and their practice of leaving a field fallow every third year. In the mid-18th century, Frederick mandated the cultivation of potatoes to help feed a burgeoning population.

Potato dumplings, boiled potatoes, roast potatoes, mashed potatoes, infinite varieties of potato salad ... thank you, your Majesty. By tradition, visitors to Frederick's grave leave a potato as well as flowers.

Answer: Jelly doughnuts

Berliners - the people, not the food - call these doughnuts "Pfannkuchen" (literally, "pancakes") even though there's no pan involved. They call pancakes "Eierkuchen" (egg cakes). Confused?

The basic recipe is the same throughout Germany, Switzerland and most everywhere else. The yeast dough is rich in eggs and butter; the fried doughnuts are filled with a wide variety of jams, jellies and fruit products; the doughnuts are dusted with sugar (but seldom glazed) - and they never have holes in the middle!

Setting the urban legend to rest: John Kennedy's famous June 1963 statement, "Ich bin ein Berliner," did not make the President a doughnut. His Berlin audience didn't use that term for food. Now, if he had said "Ich bin ein Pfannkuchen" ...