Holiday Flavours to Remember

It may look like pasta - with tomato sauce and Parmesan shavings, but it is in fact a sweet, cold, and unmistakably German dessert. Spaghetti ice cream is a bestseller in ice cream parlours across the country and doesn’t come from Italy, but from Mannheim. In 1969, Italian-born Dario Fontanella created the first spaghetti ice cream in his father’s Mannheim parlour by pressing vanilla ice cream through a spätzle press. What began as a playful experiment soon became a sensation, however the original flavours: pistachio, lemon, and strawberry – inspired by the colours of the Italian flag, ended up being vanilla ice cream, strawberry purée, whipped cream, and white chocolate in the final recipe. And so was born the iconic spaghetti ice cream still enjoyed across the world today.

Few pastries are as popular in Germany as the pretzel; the golden, entwined symbol of the country’s baking tradition. Dating back to the Middle Ages, it’s said to have been created by Frieder, a baker from Urach, who had been sentenced to death. According to legend, Count Eberhard promised to pardon him if he could bake a bread through which the sun could shine three times in three days. Inspired by his wife’s crossed arms, Frieder shaped the first pretzel – but it was when the dough accidentally fell into a bucket of hot lye, that its unique taste was born. Authentic Swabian pretzels are recognisable by their crisp arms and soft, thick bow - and at the Pretzel Museum within the Huober Pretzel Factory in Erdmannhausen, visitors can join baking courses to learn about the pretzel’s fascinating history and discover why it became a true Swabian icon.

The origins of 'Lentils with Spätzle', southern Germany’s “poor man’s dish,” is often debated - but there’s no doubt that authentic Alb lentils taste the best. Once common across the Swabian Alb, this old variety vanished from local fields until a remarkable rediscovery in a seed bank in St. Petersburg brought it back to life. Seeds from the preserved lentils were propagated, and today, once again thrive in the Alb region. And according to an online poll by radio station Donau-3-FM in 2024, the region's best 'Lentils with Spätzle' can be enjoyed at the Ehinger Rose, where the dish delights both locals and travellers alike.

Among Baden’s most beloved dishes are 'Brägele' - crispy fried potatoes, traditionally served with 'Wurstsalat' - a sausage salad, and 'Bibbiliskäs' - a fresh cheese dressing. Together, they are the perfect accompaniment to the region’s fine wines and are a menu staple in the cosy wine taverns between Ortenau and Markgräflerland. 'Bibbiliskäs' likely takes its name from the Alemannic word Bibbili, meaning 'little balls', and is best enjoyed with freshly baked wood-fired bread to truly capture the rustic charm of Baden’s countryside cuisine. Travellers following the 'Brotweg', or Bread Trail, in the Yach Valley of the southern Black Forest can stop at Schneiderhof, where the regional specialty is served in a warm, family atmosphere for an authentic taste of Baden hospitality.

Many legends surround the exact origins of 'Maultaschen', Pretzels, and Black Forest Gâteau, but there is no doubt that the 'Seele' hails from Upper Swabia and the Allgäu region of Württemberg. Local bakers have, for centuries, crafted this traditional pastry - a small, baguette-like bread made from flour, yeast, water, salt, caraway seeds, and lard. The dough is allowed to rise before being placed in the oven with a 'Seelenschießer', a long wooden, grooved spatula. The small bread takes its name from All Souls’ Day, when prayers are traditionally offered for departed souls. Today, visitors can still try this historic treat at Fidelisbäck in Wangen and enjoy a genuine bite of southern Germany’s culinary heritage.