OK, a little bit of history to start us off. Oktoberfest (German pronunciation: [ɔkˈtoːbɐˌfɛst]) is the world's largest Volksfest (beer festival and travelling funfair). Held annually in Munich, Bavaria, Germany, it is a 16- to 18-day folk festival running from mid or late September to the first Sunday in October. The Oktoberfest is an important part of Bavarian culture, having been held since the year 1810. Other cities across the world also hold Oktoberfest celebrations that are modelled after the original Munich event.
Horse races, in the tradition of the 15th-century Scharlachrennen (Scarlet Race at Karlstor), were held on 18 October to honour the newlyweds.(That links well with Spring Racing Carnival). It is generally understood that Andreas Michael Dall'Armi, a Major in the National Guard, proposed the idea, but the origins of the horse races, and Oktoberfest itself, may have stemmed from proposals offered by Franz Baumgartner, a coachman and Sergeant in the National Guard.
The precise origins of the festival and horse races remain a matter of controversy, however, the decision to repeat the horse races, spectacle, and celebrations in 1811 launched what is now the annual Oktoberfest tradition
The Munich Oktoberfest originally took place in the 16-day period leading up to the first Sunday in October. In 1994, this longstanding schedule was modified in response to German reunification. Thus, the festival now runs for 17 days. During the event, large quantities of Oktoberfest Beer are consumed. At the 100th anniversary of Oktoberfest in 1910, an estimated 120,000 litres of beer were consumed, and, during the 2013 event, for example, 7.7 million litres were served to over 6 million visitors. There is also a wide variety of traditional foods available. Did I hear FOOD ?
Later, the Oktoberfest was lengthened and the date pushed forward because days are longer and warmer at the end of September. The horse race continued until 1960, and the agricultural show still exists today and is held every four years in the southern part of the festival grounds
Beginning in 1950, the festival has been opened with the same traditional procedure: At noon, a 12-gun salute is followed by the tapping of the first keg of Oktoberfest beer by the Mayor of Munich with the proclamation "O'zapft is!" ("It's tapped!" in the Austro-Bavarian dialect). The Mayor then gives the first litre of beer to the Minister-President of the State of Bavaria.
The Oktoberfest is known as the largest Volksfest (folk festival) in the World.
When people think of Germany, they usually think of beer, pretzels, and sausage. I add to that cakes and other gastronomic goodies. While beer is what Germany is mainly known for worldwide, no pint or litre even Stein is complete without a German sausage to complement it. But German sausages extend beyond the basic backyard barbecue bratwurst that so many people know and love.
German sausages vary by region and locality. Germany as a whole boasts hundreds of different kinds of sausages! These some more common types of German sausage, eaten in different ways each boasting unique ingredients and flavours. You have the chance to try some at Ferryman's on Saturday cooked by our own local chef who has the background knowledge and ability to make our taste buds dance.
Bratwurst
What most people think when it comes to German sausage. Made from finely minced pork and beef, bratwurst are usually grilled and served with sweet German mustard and a hard roll. There is a currywurst adaptation of bratwurst, which involves slicing a bratwurst and seasoning it with a curry ketchup. Currywursts are sold as a fast food dish in Germany and are popular across the country, According to the Deutsches Currywurst Museum, 70 million are eaten every year in Berlin!
Frankfurter/Bockwurst
While similar in appearance to American hot dogs, bockwursts are made from ground veal and pork. Seasoned with salt, white pepper, and paprika, bockwursts are eaten with Bock beer and mustard after being boiled.
Weisswurst (Weißwurst)
Translating directly to "white sausage," Weißwurst is a traditional Bavarian sausage that was invented at Marienplatz in Munich. It's made from veal, bacon, parsley, lemon, cardamom, and lemon. Since preservatives aren't used in their preparation, they're traditionally only available until noon and as a result are sometimes known as "morning sausages." Weißwurst are made fresh daily and are generally eaten with beer, sweet mustard, and soft pretzels.
Knackwurst originated in northern Germany in the mid-16th century, and now numerous regional varieties exist throughout the country. This short and stubby sausage is usually all-beef and flavored with garlic, traditionally being served with sauerkraut and potato salad.
Leberkäse
While this sausage translates literally to "liver cheese," it doesn't actually contain any liver or cheese. Leberkäse is made by grinding up corned beef, pork, and bacon and then baking it all in a loaf pan until it has a crunchy crust. Similar to a pink meatloaf, it is served in 1/2-inch slices and usually enjoyed cold.
Nürnberger Rostbratwurst
These smaller, pinkie-sized sausages originate from the historic German town of Nürnberg. They make a great breakfast sausage and are typically served six at a time, grilled, with potatoes, sauerkraut, and horseradish cream.
Teewurst
Invented in 1874 and meant to be eaten at tea-time on open-faced sandwiches, teewurst is an air-dried sausage made from pork, bacon, and beef. The sausage is smoked over beechwood before maturing for 7-10 days to develop its iconic flavour, which is mild and slightly sour. Since it contains 30-40% fat, it's relatively easy to spread.
Ok are you all Wurst out ?, now for the sweeter taste to finish the meal and refresh the palate
Apple Strudel
A popular pastry in Austria, Northern Italy and many other countries in Europe that once belonged to the Austro-Hungarian Empire (1867–1918)."Strudel" a German word, derives from the Middle High German word for "whirlpool" or "eddy".
Apple strudel consists of an oblong strudel pastry jacket with an apple filling inside.The filling is made of grated cooking apples ( a tart, crisp and aromatic variety, sugar, cinnamon, and bread crumbs. Strudel uses an unleavened dough. The basic dough consists of flour, oil (or butter) and salt although as a household recipe, many variations exist.
Apple strudel dough is a thin elastic dough consisting of many thin layers and known as "Blätterteig", the traditional preparation of which is a difficult process. The dough is kneaded by flogging, after kneading, the dough is rested, then rolled out on a wide surface and stretched until the dough reaches a thickness similar to phyllo. The dough is also stretched carefully to make it large enough to cover the kneading table. Filling is arranged in a line on a small section of dough which is folded over the filling, and the remaining dough is wrapped around until all the dough has been used.
Yeast Cake - I cannot recall the real name, but its yummy.
This one I tried only a week ago, it was a cross between a bread and a cake, made with yeast and cooked in a round, with sultanas and sliced almonds. The outer crust was delicate almost crispy and had a tantalizing texture and when served as it was with butter, it was light, and very tasty. Butter is the secret but I reckon a good vanilla bean ice cream would also go well.
With an un-rivalled variety of sausages, Germany continues to reign as the sausage kingdom of the world although England and even now Australia are experimenting with this food lovers delight. The humble snag has come a long way, and it doesn’t have to be charred to a cinder on the BBQ, although I know a few Aussies that still insist on eating them that way.
Don't be afraid to try out some of these unique sausages, better still try some at Ferrymans Café all day on Saturday 26th October when the famous German sausage will be celebrated with some genuine specials listed below and with cake to follow, opps nearly forgot ....with some German Wheat beer, (Paulaner Hefe-Weizen) beer to wash it down!
Enjoy.
Specials at Ferrymans
Saturday all day (correct at time of writing)
Camembert Relish in Pretzel Stick
Weisswurst with Sweet Mustard
Grilled Bratwurst with German Mustard
Thinly Sliced cold Wurst with onions gherkin, tossed in a vinegar oil salt and pepper
Roasted Pork belly with Sauerkraut and Mashed potatoes
Apple Strudel with Vanilla Ice Cream
Yeast based Cakein circular Bundt mould.
Sources:Wikipedia-Spoon University-Sbs.com-Food republic-Steffensdinners:
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