Mettbrötchen

I went grocery shopping with Tom the other night, and I can barely express the humour in seeing "Amerika" in the foreign foods section, right next to Mexican and Chinese cuisine. Since when did HP Sauce and marshmallows become such a unique delight. It was comforting, though, to read labels in English again; for a moment I felt like I was back in the Zehrs across from my house.

I also ate the strangest thing on our way out to the car: a Mettbrötchen. Essentially, it's raw ground beef or pork on a fresh roll, which after having been told my whole life never to eat raw meat, I found quite strange. Yet, it was incredibly delicious also, and is something I highly recommend that any non-vegetarian visiting Germany seek out. Of course there are a few rules to it though. Make sure that it's very fresh, as in made that very day - the ground meat, I mean. Otherwise you risk getting sick. Also, it's best on a soft, fresh roll, and can also have raw onions added (although I ate mine without). The best places to find it, I think, are at butchers or at a market. The supermarkets here tend to be a little different in that they're larger and more focused on fresh breads, meats, vegetables, and cheeses. There are always huge meat counters, warm bakeries, and enormous cheese sections. I think that I could spend an entire day in there and still not discover all that they have. Mmmm, köstlich.

-Candles