RECIPES
Frankfurt and the West:
(Hessen, Rhineland-Palatinate, North Rhine-Westphalia, Saarland)
The Frankfurt sausage, one of the region's signature dishes, is more than 500 years old. It is reported that in 1562, Emperor Maximilian II ordered a roast ox stuffed with these hearty sausages. Another Frankfurt favorite is Green Sauce, which Johann Wolfgang von Goethe especially loved. The people from Cologne and many other parts of North Rhine-Westphalia have special expressions in their dialect for a wide range of regional specialities. For example, please don't expect to get half of one chicken when you're offered a "Halve Hahn" which literally translated means Half Chicken. This is what the people in Cologne call a "Röggelchen" (a rye-bread roll) with Gouda cheese and lots of mustard. Any of these dishes are well-accompanied by a local wine or beer, such as a Kölsch in Cologne or Alt-bier from Düsseldorf. The region along the banks of the Rhine River is famous for asparagus and spicy Sauerbraten (braised beef marinated in vinegar and herbs). Savory Mettwurst (soft smoked sausage) served with curly kale can also tempt your palate. A perfect start to a meal can be a soup made with local wine. In Hessen, sauerkraut is improved with bay leaves and juniper berries and eaten with pork ribs. That calls for a Steinhäger, a schnapps made from juniper berries.
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