I have no qualms about assaulting my taste-buds and senses with unfamiliar flavours, textures and aromas when I travel. Sometimes it is a pleasure, and sometimes the outcome can be rather disastrous – but that’s what travel and experiencing different cultures is all about.
However, more often than not, after a few days (and sometimes hours) of culinary adventures, I often crave my familiar favourites back home in Malaysia- where an array of food and flavours from various parts of the world are available round the clock. That is until I discovered the diversity and flavours of Bavarian cuisine.
For the first time, during my travels, I did not crave for my favourite dishes back home.Instead my taste-buds and senses seemed to enjoy be immersed in the variety of preparations and flavourful sauces that topped the baked, grilled and seared meats served up at each meal.
How can grilled meat, baked and seared meat be any different in Bavaria than it is in other places? Well, its not that different – but what makes Bavarian dishes unique in my opinion are the sauces and relishes served up with the main courses.
The base for the sauces were mostly Bavarian beer which comes in a wide variety – and a good enough excuse as any other to go on a food and drink exploration trail in this German state.
The sauces are usually infused with an array of herbs, spices, local produce like cheese, and berries like cranberries and black berries – usually resulting in a burst of sweet and savoury flavours, with a tangy twist at times.
I was intrigued with the play of ingredients and the unique flavours and plan to experiment with these in my own kitchen back home.
Bavarian food was much more than the variety of sausages, sauerkraut, schnitzels and pork knuckles I was told to expect …and I’m craving for more!
Maria Dass the World 