In this particular region of Germany, the food has been heavily influenced by Austrian, Czech, and Tyrolian culinary traditions.
After a long morning of traveling on the Deutsche Bahn (German train), it was so nice to sit down and enjoy a hearty meal with my family. While staying in Munich, I found out that this traditional cuisine stems from Bavaria's history as a poor, agrarian state. Meat, potatoes, preserved cabbage and various kinds of bread were eaten at special times of the year to foster community, and over time, connected the locals deeply to their landscape. Upon sharing this traditional meal with my own family, I felt more connected to the local history in Bavaria and gained greater appreciation for how food influences culture all around the world.
Typical German Bratwurst is prepared by grinding and mixing pork fat with various seasonings - typically salt, pepper, nutmeg, sometimes ginger - and binding everything together with raw egg. Other German dishes are made in a similar style. For example, Knödel dumplings are usually a mixture of stale bread, potatoes, milk, eggs, onions, and herbs. Apfulstrudel is made by wrapping sweet cinnamon apple filling in thinly stretched dough and baking it until it comes out golden brown, dusting with powdered sugar or serving with vanilla ice cream on the side.
