White Asparagus

Well, I may as well save you now, because this week, I'm just going to talk about a vegetable. That's right. One. Single. Vegetable.

The seasonal pride and joy of Germany – white asparagus – seems, at first sight, to be a bit of an abomination to those who’ve never heard of it. Following one look, at least two emotions rise – confusion and pity. First, confusion because it’s hard to understand why a perfectly good green vegetable would be purposely denied sunlight. See, instead of letting the asparagus grow above ground, thus allowing photosynthesis to take place, the veggie grows buried under dirt and never gets to see the light of day until it's time to be harvested. That's where the second emotion comes in.

Don't get me wrong - it's certainly a wonderful icebreaker. People either love asparagus or they don't, and when you throw the question "Green or White" in the mix, things get interesting. For many years, a number of Germans had never even heard of green asparagus! In fairness, I suppose they could turn the same sentence around and say that a vast number of people outside of Germany have never even heard of white asparagus. Finally, after a number of years, green asparagus is gaining in popularity throughout the country and there are tons of great recipes to incorporate both versions in one dish. Tolerance at its best.

It's really up to you to decide which type you like the most. I still prefer the green for a number of reasons, primarily due to taste, texture, convenience and appearance. For example, you actually have to peel white asparagus before you boil it. The outer husk is completely inedible, and it can be an arduous process getting rid of it. I enjoy roasting or sautéing green asparagus in olive oil with salt and pepper after washing the veggie and clipping the ends. Typically, white asparagus is either served with butter or hollandaise sauce.

By now, you should know that I love to learn about the health benefits and properties of foods and beverages. Some cool things to know about asparagus are that it's an excellent source of folic acid, a good source of vitamin C and vitamin B6. It's also high in antioxidants and has treasured anti-inflammatory properties. And if that's not enough to get you on board, historically, it's been viewed as being an aphrodisiac for centuries. All the more reason to love it and have a wonderful time buying it at the market the same day it's been harvested early in the morning!

Guten Appetit and have a great week.

xoxo CountryEuroCityMouse

©2012-2013 CountryEuroCityMouse™. All rights reserved.

A Proposal for a New German National Anthem

Like any self-respecting country, Germany has its own national anthem. Because I studied classical music with an outside field in German, I actually had to learn all twenty gazillion verses. Hurray.

But, in all honesty, after living in the country for over a decade (gasp!), I believe that there should be an unofficial national anthem. And it should be Ludacris' "Move… Get Out the Way".

Seriously, no matter where I've been, this is either what the person in front of me is saying or I'm thinking. While I can't exactly call myself a Harlem Globe Trotter (for myriad obvious reasons), I have been blessed to travel to many places. Germany takes the cake when it comes to people getting in your way with a subconscious determination to stay there.

Example 1: On a narrow sidewalk, there is only room for two people to walk parallel. What do you do? Walk on one side while the person in the opposite direction continues on the other side? Well, if that's your answer, then you must not be German. The resounding answer for any real German - or Germanized person, mind you - is to walk in the middle.

Example 2: You sense someone walking behind you with a sense of urgency. What do you do? Shift slightly to the side so that he or she may pass? Well, if that's your answer, then you must not be German. Instead, you will slow down to show him or her that you aren't the type of person who will be rushed. Gotta show 'em who's boss, you know.

Example 3: There's nothing more painful than a group of oblivious people who are determined to walk in a pack. A normal group would simply stagger their positions, allowing others to pass by them. The packs of people refuse to budge, despite being three or more people walking on the sidewalk side by side. It doesn't seem to matter: Young or old, males or females, too many of them love walking in packs. Some of them even link their arms to form a chain. What the heck, people? Is this some kind of protest that everyone else just doesn't know about?

No wonder everyone is body checking you left and right.

Here’s to a great week with wide-open spaces.

xoxo CountryEuroCityMouse

©2012-2013 CountryEuroCityMouse™. All rights reserved.

Here's to Hamburg!

There are so many things that I have never done while living in Germany. Visiting a city up North is one of them. Now, don’t get me wrong – just because I’m a southern girl doesn’t mean that I don’t have love for Norddeutschland! It’s just that whenever my husband and I have had the time and the means to get out of dodge, we’d basically flee the country. Just sayin.

This week, the quite famous Hamburger Fischmarkt (The Fish Market of Hamburg) has travelled to my city. If you’re not familiar with it, let me give you a quick run-down. It’s pretty much like a food carnival. You know how the carnies call out to you and do basically whatever it takes to get your attention so that they can sell their wares or provoke you to come to their booth? It’s like that, only with food.

They travel throughout the country in large semi trucks full of food. Obviously, this is a country with a big appetite. There’s the fruit man, who will sell you a basket of exotic fresh fruits in a cute wicker basket for 10 Euros. There’s the cheese guy, who sells you an assortment of cheeses in a bucket. The noodle dude, who, guess what, sells you a gigantic bag of smaller bags of Italian noodles – all name brands, of course, for something crazy like 12 euros. Another guy is the eel man – no joke – a big, red-faced fishmonger who, for some strange reason, totally turns off the public. It might be due to the fact that he literally grunts at people. Weird.

But there’s something so inexplicable, so totally German about the entire experience. These guys actually wear microphones and do everything they can to draw crowds – including insulting each other. I’m not saying that’s totally German, but their sense of humor is, as well as the passive curiosity of the crowds. And the love of big deals. And, of course, sausage.

To make a long story short, it was a fun experience. We’re going to take two dear friends of mine there to theFischmarkt this evening. Also, Mr. CountryEuroCityMouse and I have decided to book a four-day, three-night trip to Hamburg!

Finally, I can see for myself what all the big fuss surrounding St. Pauli is about (other than St. Pauli’s Girl, of course). We’re so excited!

By the way, for those of you in the know, I’m open to tips and secret must-see places.

Have a great week.

xoxo CountryEuroCityMouse

©2012-2013 CountryEuroCityMouse™. All rights reserved.