Until 1989, Germany was divided between the GDR and the FRG. So it is not surprising that there are also different food cultures here. As a socialist state, the GDR had much less choice when it came to food. As a result, you had to be creative when creating new recipes. which GDR dishes They were popular at the time, but now almost never end up on the table, you can find them here.
All about “Dishes from the GDR”:
Startup warning: In this article, we speak from the point of view of Generation Z: This generation can identify very little with the GDR, because they were born well after the unification. Generation Z grew up around the millennium, starting in 1999. Logically, they have the younger generation and the older generation have different ideas of what is good taste and what is not.
8 dishes from the GDR
Traditional German dishes are still served in guest houses or at the grandparents’ house. In general, it can be said that many of these dishes are not eaten as often as before, because many people no longer know them or their eating habits have simply changed. Therefore, we have analyzed some dishes from the GDR.
1. Saxon mustard meat
Saxon mustard meat is a very popular GDR dish. The beef is seasoned with cumin and cooked with plenty of water. Like a stew come later Add onion, cucumber and bread and the pot of meat is cooked until everything is creamy. Finally, mustard is added to the pot. The whole thing was usually eaten with parsley potatoes or a beetroot salad.
2. Ketwurst
What is now a hot dog was probably the ketwurst of the former GDR. It was considered an excellent fast food and was eaten all over the country. The sausage was probably invented in Berlin, more precisely in the famous Alexanderplatz. Ketwurst consists of a boiled sausage served in a long bun. The delicacy is finished with a little ketchup.
Today, the ketwurst recipe is unknown to most people (especially Gen Z). The reason is that it replaced hot dogs as a fast food snack after the merger. In fact, there are very few differences between a ketwurst and a hot dog. Only the toppings are different: while ketwurst makes do with ketchup, hot dogs need mustard, onions, pickles, and more.
3. Cauliflower with breadcrumbs
We won’t say that cauliflower is no longer eaten by Generation Z. After all, it is a healthy vegetable Rich in C and B vitamins and minerals to be However, in the GDR, breadcrumbs or breadcrumbs were usually poured over the vegetables, which was anything but healthy.
Because breadcrumbs can absorb fat and it becomes a real calorie bomb. Generation Z people are very food conscious and watch what they eat. For this reason, many of today’s young people’s dishes are usually made without breadcrumbs.
4. Lung Sausage
Lungwurst, also known as cabbage sausage or lungwurst, is a raw, highly smoked sausage made from pork and fat. This GDR dish is mainly known in the north-east and north-west of Germany. Pulmonwurst is named after him five percent of the raw lung, washed and finely chopped.
For Generation Z, this dish would be impossible. Not only because it has meat and a large part of this generation are vegetarians and vegans, but also in this sausage. relatively high proportion of animal organs they are located – even carnivores: they are sometimes disgusting inside.
5. Colorful cat
In the GDR, the colorful cat was eaten as a delicious evening meal. This dish is also called layer pan. The dish is reminiscent of a British one sunday roast because it mainly contains potatoes, onions, pork and a lot of cooking fat. This specialty is seasoned with cumin, salt and pepper. You will find the complete recipe here.
The colorful cat is considered a delicious snack From the old GDR culture. Today, however, this dish is much less represented on the menus of restaurants in the Republic. Even in home kitchens, the recipe is not cooked much. There are several reasons why the new generation, Gen Z, does not identify with this recipe:
- It is very meaty, and vegetarians and vegans cannot combine it.
- Also, this recipe uses cooking oil, which is considered a very unhealthy food. Generation Z is very healthy and they are increasingly moving away from unhealthy fats.
- The spice cumin is very old fashioned. Generation Z’s dishes are mainly seasoned with fresh-tasting herbs, such as coriander or parsley.
6. Eggs in mustard sauce
I remember we used to have this dish a lot in elementary school and I still remember very few have played this dish. However, for many it is a well-known GDR dish, still on the regular menu of restaurants.
He should tell the truth Mustard dates back to the 19th century, because that’s when it first appeared in cookbooks. In the GDR, then the court grew after all, eggs and mustard were easily procured. So the dish became standard in all GDR canteens. The sour sauce was made with mustard, stock, flour, butter and vinegar.
7. Mettigel
Everyone knows: a nice meatball called Mettigel, which was part of any GDR party at that time. The specialty consists of raw minced pork, onions and parsley and it was used to decorate tables. He gets the hedgehog look by sticking pieces of onion on the meatballs like the spine of the hedgehog.
Today, many cannot imagine eating raw minced meat (mett). The proportion of vegetarians and vegans has grown dramatically and, according to the Robert Koch Institute, Raw pork is also the biggest risk factor for what is known as yersiniosis. This is the cause of serious gastrointestinal diseases.
8. Jägerschnitzel
When it comes to Jägerschnitzel, many people think of a nice piece of meat paired with fresh mushrooms. However, this dish from the GDR is completely different. Because this is about Jagdwurst fillets are rolled in flour, egg and breadcrumbs like a schnitzel and then fried. In addition, there were mostly noodles and Letscho.
By the way, lecsó is a Hungarian vegetable stew or stew, which traditionally has a basic recipe of yellow bell pepper, tomato, onion, salt and sweet and/or ground pepper. Today this dish can also be found in traditional German restaurants.
9. Red fruit jelly
Today, red fruit jelly is understood as a thick mass of red fruits that can be eaten with pudding or simply. In the GDR, red fruit jelly was a popular dessert, because it needed few ingredients and was quick to make.
Depending on the site GDR recipes you only need half a liter of red fruit juice, 50 g of sugar, salt, 50 g of starch, almonds and fruit for the dish. Alternatively, you can also do it with a bag – they are still available in some supermarkets today, by the way.
Life in the GDR: Very different from today
Before reading this article, you should know that food choices and shopping are not comparable to today. After all, the GDR was declared a socialist state based on the Soviet model. Simply put, this means that most private property has been transferred to state ownership. Mainly shops and businesses were included, but also residential buildings.
Of course, this also affected the food. There was hardly any equal food choices like today. Even if there are a few, that doesn’t mean the general public can afford it. You can have a good look at the banana example here. There were hardly any bananas in the GDR because they were not delivered to the East, according to them Baden’s newspaper.
Horst Zimmermann has it MDR he wrote a report. In the first paragraph he writes: “Convenience stores or private stores sold goods for money in connection with ration cards or ration coupons. Around 1949 the first stores of the State trade organization were opened Selling unbranded products at inflated prices. I remember the price of a bockwurst: 5 marks with a monthly salary of 200 to 300 marks!’
If you want to learn a little more about the GDR, you can do so with this podcast the time do it
A lot has changed
Many dishes from the GDR are very tasty and are still served today. We are now privileged enough to choose what we do and do not want to eat. That’s why you can say that vegetarians and vegans especially, of course, won’t eat some of the dishes mentioned, and that’s perfectly fine too.
Fortunately, there are already vegan or vegetarian options for many of these dishes. In the end, however, everyone has their own taste and can and should live it – even with regard to dishes from the GDR that are perhaps not often eaten today.