🗣Tell us when you guys hear our son (Grayson) speaking German and then when you see our other son's (Griffin) BROT DANCE! 🕺Our kids LOVE German bread here as much as we do. They're upset when the bread box is empty.
@@ad220588 hahaha! We love how we learn a lot more about German culture with each video we publish. Now we know - Semmel in Bavaria, Brötchen in most other parts.
@@MyMerryMessyGermanLife There is a three-part "reenactment series" called "Victorian Bakers", which has four modern day bakers make bread like at the beginning, middle and end of the victorian era. The first and third part are quite nice and idyllic ... but the second part is "hard on the stomach", because it also shows what was being done to compete for lowest prices. You can blame THE ENGLISH for american "love" of toast ... and they even cut off the "crust" for their sandwiches, the only thing that has any taste in the stuff.
Brötchen is standard German, Semmel is Bavarian, in the south-west we call it Weck, in northern Germany they call it Rundstück and in Berlin Schrippe. French baguette and Italian ciabatta is good - once in a while - but I couldn't live without Mischbrot, dark Vollkornbrot, Kartoffelbrot, Laugengebäck, or Körnerbrötchen.
@@honkytonk4465 That's not true, "Rundstück" is just the low german word for it. The term even exists in danish and norwegian (rundstykke) as well as swedish (rundstycke).
Of course Germans love to travel, but no matter in which country we are, sooner or later we all do miss our bread. The sentence "Ich möchte mal wieder 'richtiges' Brot" is probably one of the most used ones in our vacations abroad 😂
That's exactly what it is like! When I visited France for the first time as a child back in the seventies everyone was crazy about eating baguette at first. After two weeks we missed richtiges Brot so much! By chance we discovered rye bread on a small market. But it could not make up to the bread we ate at home. My father was actually a baker. He used to make bread with sourdough with an old family recepy. In my town people still talk about the famous Scharfs Brot.
Im croatian and i have traveled many countries in Europe and what I can say hands down is that German bread is the best bread in Europe and probably the world in trems of variety, quality of ingredients and manufacturing. With over three thousand different bread specialties it has the by far laugest variety of bread in Europe. I haven’t tried as much but since I settled down in Germany I have tried a lot. Whenever I visit Croatia or travel other countries I do miss my German bread.
One of the culture shocks for me as an American who brought her American horse into Germany, was the fact that old bread is used as a horse snack. My American horse had no idea he would soon be eating human food. Now every last crust of bread is fed to my horse, and friends bring old bread by for them. American horses have no concept of this.
@@LythaWausW yeah, I rember a time in my early years when I used to live close to a stud farm. I collected and dried out all of my bread leftovers and shrivelled apples to bring them there. (of course I asked the owners before feeding the horses.)
We have an inofficial "eating rule", so we're not too full in the evening: Morgens wie ein Kaiser, mittags wie ein König und abends wie ein Bettler - In the morning like an emperor, lunch like a king and in the evening like a beggar.
Bread is so important for german culture, that we actually have several times a day dedicated to it: Abendbrot (Dinner), Brotzeit (Snack before lunch or/ and in the afternoon) and Frühstück (breakfast, "early piece" (of bread). This is because grains are native to europe, things like potatos or corn etc came later after america was discovered by europeans and grain was cheap enough for everybody, like peasants. Same btw with sausages: they were a cheaper way to eat meat, so peasants could have that. Along with Germany's many different regions and traditions, you get a lot of variations of bread and sausages over the centuries.
@@MyMerryMessyGermanLife thank you so much! Btw some standard breads you will find basically everywhere in Germany: Mischbrot, Weizenbrot, Schwarzbrot, Roggenbrot, Weltmeisterbrot, Pumpernickel. From the bread rolls: standard Brötchen (Weizenbrötchen), Rye Brötchen (called Schusterjunge in many regions), Kaisersemmel (a hearty Weizenbrötchen), Laugenbrötchen and Laugenbrezel, Mohnbrötchen (poppy seed Brötchen), Sesambrötchen (sesame Brötchen). These are basically part of every bakery in Germany.
@@MyMerryMessyGermanLife A lot of the cuisine of any given country can be explained with the location. In the case of Europe, people developed a mutation which allowed them to drink milk at one point, hence there are certain dishes which you won't find in countries where most people are lactose intolerant. In addition, there aren't many spicy plants native to Germany, but quite a few sour ones, consequently the cuisine is not particularly spicy (a mexican would most likely say "bland"), but Germans really have a thing for sour dishes with Rhubarb aso. We also have figured out pretty much every way to eat wheat over the centuries.
Bread was not that common in the Dark Age, because youd needed a miller, who proceded the crops. So it was expensive. Many people made some form of crop porridges or groats as daily meal
This reminds me of my business trip to the US in late 2019... I tried out different kinds of bread that the supermarkets around had, but no matter what I tried, everything was very sweet/sugary and tasted almost the same, even the ones that looked a bit healthier with some seeds in it. When I came back to Germany after 3 weeks, I skipped sleeping off my jetlag and went straight into the next bakery to buy onion bread and good and simple cream cheese, because I craved it so much. Bread over sleep, really. But I feel like that since the pandemic more people in the US learned to bake bread, make their own sourdough etc. and discover "real" bread instead of buying the stuff from supermarkets. Maybe that trend sticks :)
Correct about the sugar, it's a nightmare here in the US. After a lot of research I found 1 kind of no sugar bread in Costco. Bake a lot of bread in the bread machine, or better yet, bring a suitcase of rye, whole grain/seed bread from every visit to Poland.
Hehehe i remember that the very first thing i did at the airport after returning from my exchange year in Canada was getting a Vollkornbrötchen at a bakery and just becoming overjoyed when i took it in my hand and the crust crackled. It's indeed the small everyday things we usually take for granted that we miss the most and can bring us the greatest joy.
In the 35 years I've lived in the US, American bread culture has marginally improved. We now have an artisanal bakery in our town, although the prices are artisanal as well (i.e., expensive). One of my first actions whenever I touch down in Frankfurt is ALWAYS to get a pretzel with butter, even though it's from an industrial bakery and certainly not the pinnacle of German baking. For most Germans, this attachment to their bread is primal. My childhood is suffused with memories of getting a "Butterbrot" (or "Stulle") handed to me by my mother or grandmother.
If you are in Frankfurt, check out "Confisserie Graff" (they have a few sale locations). They do have amazing and some kind of exotic bread even for Germans. Try for example the Appler. (Apple Whine bread / White bread made with apple whine, baked over with cheese and cheese is also baked into it... though Germans would normally never touch white bread - this one is a clear exception - it's awesome with fresh cheese.) Though it's called a confisserie, the one who bakes the bread is a master-baker (special degree of profession). And that is something you can taste.
When you travel through Germany. Check out the bakeries because every region has its own kind of bread if you know what I mean. Bread types in the south vary from bread types in the north, west, east and so on.
@@MyMerryMessyGermanLife But beware! There are a lot of stores that belong to one big "industrial" bakery and they sell the same stuff everywhere. e.g. "Wiener Feinbäcker"/"Heberer" (those two are the same, btw) I like your videos, the laid back way of telling thinds.
Your kiddo's on the direct way to talking an accent free German, which is nearly impossible for adults to accomplish. It's so much easier for kids to learn a new language, so it's wonderful that they're given that chance!
Bread is life! Growing up with it, I can't imagine having only the white bread - I feel like I'm not really full and satisfied after eating that compared to spelt bread etc. :) I am gonna have some breakfast bread now ;-)
@@MyMerryMessyGermanLife best topping for a Vollkornbrot is Leberwurst or Mettwurst and some pickles. The dark breads you eat normally with salty toppings like cold cuts or cheese, the white breads you eat more sweet. With old white bread rolls you make Semmelknödel (dumplings). works also with old Brezeln. Some bakeries sells Knödelbrot in bags. This are old dry white bread rolls cut in slices. Knödel are easy and fast to make at home. For 6 person: 10 old bread rolls in slices pour over with ca. 0,3l hot milk and let it soak up a little. Cut 1 onion in small cubes and steam it in butter in a pan without color. Put it to the soaked bread with 3 eggs, nutmeg, salt, pepper and fresh cut parsley. When you use Brezel bread rolls not so much salt. Form balls from the Knödel dough and boil it in saltwater. Balls with the size of golf balls 8min., with the size of tennis balls 15min. Best side dish for roasted pork or other stews dishes with sauce. A classic dish in Bavaria is Rahmschwammeln mit Semmelknödel. Fresh cut sauté mushrooms with diced onions, cream, little broth(Vegi, Chicken or Veal), parsley, salt and pepper. If you like you can put some white wine or Cognac at the end in the sauce.
in Germany theres a old saying: "in der Not schmeckt die Wurst auch ohne Brot" so that translates too "in times of crisis the sausage will also taste without the bread". This is because if the crops were bad people would have to survive on their salted and smoked sausagewares and bread would be in very short supply. But obviously everyone would be very upset.
I am afraid you misunderstand the saying. It is meant ironically. Up until the last 50 years, meat and processed meat were much more expensive that grain products. So "in times of crisis" nobody would "survive" on meat... Basically, the saying could also go smth like this: "On a diet, the cake tastes even without the cup of tea" :)
"Brötchen", "Semmel" and "Weck(erl)" refer to the same thing but are used in different regions. Brötchen is used in the north, Semmel in Bavaria and Austria and Weck/Weckerl/Weckle is used in Baden-Württemberg. In the north of Germany "Semmel" is sometimes used for one specific kind of roll (Kaisersemmel)
@@MyMerryMessyGermanLife ... also Laabla, Mütschli, Kipf, Rundstück, Weggli, Brötla, Mutschel ... you can get confused by regional names for a roll. Try to use the word "Brötchen", it is almost understood by everybody in the german speaking area. 😏
@@wanderwurst8358 Caution - if you use the word "Brötchen" with the Swabian diminutive '-le' instead of '-chen', you get "Brötle" or rather "Bredle" - and that's something totally different. "Bredle" are (Christmas) cookies. 😁
German „Brötchen“ even found it‘s way in international known child literature....when „Heidi“ returns from Frankfurt am Main to Swiss the brings Peter‘s grandmother Brötchen
There are two things that I miss a lot when I‘m on holidays in another country: our bred and our tap water. I am from Austria and I love bred with just a bit of butter and a pinch of salt
Austrian tap water is so insanely good, it's really hard living abroad where the water is clorinated. I'm consoling myself with Russian bread though, it's quite good.
I never realised the importance of bread for me until I lived in the US. They had 50 different types of soft white bread but that was it. I ended up only eating ‚pretzel‘ dinner rolls, which was the closest thing to german bread i could find, but it was still kinda soft 🤷🏻♀️
It´s gotten better in big cities. You have to look for a german, italian or french bakery. But in general you are srewed in the u.s if you like tasty bread.
@@stefan6412 'unfortunately' I lived in a village/small town and needed someone to drive me bc there was no public transportation in my area and I don't have a licence, so my options were limited. I lived in Michigan and we got all of the groceries from 'Meijer'
If in the USA, see whether you have access to La Brea Bread. I can get it at Giant stores here, and I just looked it up for Michigan, and yes, Kroger's there has it too, at least according the the web. If you cannot find it fresh, you should at least be able to get their Take and Bake bread rolls. The baking instructions are for defrosted bread, if it is frozen, you need to first defrost, or adjust your baking times. Some of the rolls are whole grain, with tons of grains inside the dough. Yum! as far as fresh loaves of bread go, I love their 5 grain, and their Harvest Loaf, but you may have to try a few. A good La Brea loaf will cost you 3.99 $. If you find something that is priced much lower (Costco - looking at you here), then you have a knock-off brand that is fast rising bread and will give you a belly ache, so you have been warned. Don't buy that stuff. Also, at Aldi, you can get at least packaged Schwarzbrot, which tastes just fine, but obviously, it is nice to have the fresh stuff here and there. Some other stores sell Knaeckebrot, occasionally, I find a German store in a certain town that has a Mischbrot or something similar, and so bit by bit, I find my way through the bread deserts of America. This does not mean that I do not miss my 3000 choices and wonderful bakeries from Germany. it just means that I can get by with a bit of effort. The days of only toast (the typical packaged white bread) are over. Oh, and there is seeded rye bread, which even my kids will love to eat. Hope you can find some of all this for yourself too.
To add some history to this: Baking bread and brewing beer are very much linked when people realized in ancient times that beer quality was helped a lot when bread had been baked the day before. In these times, of yourse, it was not clear why, today we know it is due the yeast present in the grain. There is a famous verse in the Rumpelstilzchen fairy tale starting out as follows: "Heute back ich, morgen brau ich" which translates into "Today I bake, tomorrow I brew"
The term „Semmel“ is used in Bavaria and Austria for „Brötchen“. In Austria we usually only call the traditional „Kaisersemmel“ a Semmel while all other buns are referred to as „Weckerl“. My favourite Weckerl is a Kornspitz with Kürbiskernen on top. (Not sure if Kornspitze are called the same in Bavaria too 🤔) Grayson‘s pronunciation is great! He almost sounds like a German native speaker already 😊
exactly! Semmel is just a dialect word, hochdeutsch would be "Brötchen", in north-west Bavaria/Franconia people use "Weggla" and where I live in the Saarland (near France), we use "Weck" and we call Baguette "Flûte" oder "Flitt" which comes from the french word for flute. Our bakery also makes "Elsässer" which is a Weck made from fine, white wheat flour, with flour on top.
not quiet accurate... as in deed Franconia (north half of Bavaria) you distinquish Semmel (which is the simple, white one - also referred as "Griffel" for your sausage) and Brötchen, which are the more corny buns.
In the rhineland we call it Brötchen unless it is a Kaisersemmel which we also refer to by this name. Though a Wecken here means a very sweet dense white bread loaf (or in case of a Weckmann a breadpuppet with a clay pipe in its arms) that is usually handed out during Saint Martin's celebrations.
I moved to Saxony Anhalt for my med school studying and here they even say "Mittagbrot" (Lunch bread) in some placed. I am very happy to have all the bread types and choices in Germany. Everytime I am on vacation somewhere else, I am happy to come back home and have a good old sour dough bread from my favourite bakery. Its a good (and somewhat important for a German ^^) thing to have a real "craft bakery" close to your home that still bakes its own rolls and breads and not only warms up the sample-pieces from the factory like in bigger chain stores.
Oh my word! Grayson's German is P E R F E C T! It's almost impossible to detect an accent. Happy you enjoy the bread so much. And I am completely with you, Marillenmarmelade (Marillenkonfitüre) is THE best! A close second for me is the sourcherry (Kirsch/Sauerkirsche). A very good - but also very expensive - brand is D'Arbo (actually Austrian).
I've never heard that Italy is knows for their bread (I'm German). We've been there countless times on vacation and one thing we always hated was their bread lol it's just so white!
🤣🤣🤣 that's so funny! Americans associate Italy with pasta and bread. But if America had bread as good as Germany's bread, I'm sure Americans would also not like the bread in Italy!
@@schumifannreins295 That’s not really true. You can get spelt (Dinkel) and rye (Roggen) bread in the Netherlands too. Might be it’s some time ago you‘ve been in the Netherlands?
@@claudiakarl7888 Yes, but honestly, it‘s not the same. I am very often in the Netherlands, and we always bring our bread - and then buy the delicious Dutch cheese 🧀
This is why Europe is great when we work together. Gor a decent breakfast you need Italian coffee, French croissant, German bread, Irish butter and cheese from the netherlands😅
Fun video! I love Dinkel with seeds/nuts. But the reason for my comment...... 😯 Your son is a superstar. After only a few months to be able to speak such great German so freely! Absolutely amazing! Way to go!
In my grandmother's time, every little village had a bakery hut. The old houses were often thatched, so there was a great risk of fire. The stone bakery hut stood a little to one side. First the men had to make the wood, which had to dry for a long time. Every family had their day of baking. A bright fire was lit in the stove early in the morning. When the stones were really hot, the fire was swept out. Then the prepared loaves of bread were pushed in. A thermometer and a clock, that's all it took until the bread was baked. Then sheet cake was inserted. So the dough is topped with pieces of apple or plum. Or you just put a crumb crust on it. In the evening the baking day was over and the bakery hut was swept. The next morning it was another family's turn. Mondays were the least popular, because then the oven was still cold. Therefore, the back days were changed in a fixed row. Once a year the local association make a back festival like in the old days.
Semmel is dialect for Brötchen mostly used in Southern Germany, especially Bavaria. Brötchen is High German, we don't differentiate when it comes to roles or buns. 😉 In the area around Berlin it's Schrippe. In the region around Hannover, Münster, Düsseldorf and Bielefeld it's actually Brötchen. Here in Westfalia the rule is the darker the bread the better the taste. That's why we invented Pumpernickel. It's the darkest Vollkornbrot one can buy. It's quite hearty and westfälischer Knochenschinken, any kind of Wurst or Käse goes very well with it. There is an enormous variety of regional bread specialities throughout Germany. We are not known in Europe to eat the most bread, but we are the ones with the greatest variety of bread. In Germany 3.200 different kind of breads are registered at the Brotregister!!! Insane? Maybe.🤔 But at the end of the day we are just a weird bunch of nerds who just don't know when to stop. 🙈🙉🙊 P.S. I love your videos.
In Austria "Semmel" is a specific type of "Brötchen". For us "Brötchen" is a small bread, just a portion of bread. That can be any type. In Austria there are two forms of "Semmel", the "Kaisersemmel" (round) and the "Langssemmel".
Around Abendbrot and Mittag Back in the old days - when I was a kid in the 70's and 80's in small towns, it was common for stores and services to close for 2 hours at lunch and that was the big meal. Was especially unique coming from North America. Big lunch, sometimes followed by a little nap Then back to work from 2-6 And dinner was the bread and charcuterie thing Spelt/Dinkel is pretty new in wide distribution as an 'ancient grain' and probably the easiest wheat alternative - also meaning Dunkel pasta is the most normal tasting.alternative to normal pasta. Would be interested in hearing your and the kids experience with a diet with less processed foods and additives than is normal in the USA
I love knowing the history of that! Yeah so we were very concerned with processed foods in the US and didn’t eat them often. I have a blog and have many articles about the health dangers of processed foods. So the way we eat here in Germany is pretty much the same as we did in the US, except to eating lots of bread and sausages!
At least in my area that is still the norm, especially in the countryside towns. Lunch sometime around 12-13 o'clock followed by a short 20-30min nap before going back to work. Many businesses where people don't go home for lunch even close their curtains/ shutters for that time and the staff just takes a short nap on the floor with some pillows and blankets to cushion them
"Brotzeit" is a term used in southern Germany, it basically means "light meal" or a break to have some food. "Abendbrot" usually means "supper" or to have one's evening meal, even if there is no actual "Brot" involved.
@@melanieberlin5684 yes, nowhere in Germany it is called "Brotzeit" but in Bavaria! At school or kindergarden I know it as "Pausenbrot" and from Baden Württemberg as "Vesper". Funny that BW and Berlin are equal here.
True, Brotzeit is typical Bavarian. While "Abendbrot" is not traditionally Bavarian. Some people here still call it "Nachtmahl" but normally people just refer to it as Abendessen which is neutral - could be cooked dinner or bread and cold cuts or cheese.
I don't agree completely... a Semmel is always a special shape of Brötchen... round, more flat than puffed and with a typical spiral pattern on top. Also the dough is different, no shiny crust, more of a dry floury texture.
By the way, I found what I enjoy the most by following quite a number of "immigrants" channels who came from the states and a lot of other countries is: They all made (and still make) me realize how awesome much of the stuff is over here (let it be views or forests or castles, culture, food, ... you name it) that I (and likely numerous other Germans too) take for granted, without even thinking about it. That made me appreciate what I have A LOT more. Some things actually form the first time ever. And it made me realize I'm more than happy to "share" this with all of you, it makes me mighty proud of this ("my") corner of the world, although I didn't do much to provide it to you. And finally, I'd be more than happy to see any of you growing your roots here and stay for good. You got the same (if not bigger) appreciation for the things you found here, so I'd say it's YOURS too now, and rightfully so!
I’m so glad us newcomers can help you appreciate the beauty of your country. I suppose that’s true for all of us - we can easily take for granted what we have always known.
Germany has BY FAR the biggest variety of bread worldwide. And it's not only the quantity, the quality is unmatched too. It is ridiculously underrated. Don't get me wrong, I would never say no to Focaccia or Baguette, but it's just not the same level ;) Watching your video, I am literally dying right now... I have not been back to Europe for 4 years, and seeing especially the Laugenbrötchen makes me wanna take a flight RIGHT NOW! :D
I love that you love to eat your breads and rolls/buns with butter - as a "Butterbrot" is just a german classic! But you should also try your hearty, darker, seed filled breads with a spread of Frischkäse (as Bresso, Miree, Exquisa,..)
Yep, Kräuterfrischkäse - cream cheese with herbs, spread thick, with a bit of chopped fresh onion or chives on top, accompanied by a light fruity white wine - perfect for an evening with people coming over.
"Brötchen" is the German term that id understood everywhere, whereas "Semmel" is mostly used in southern Germany / Bavaria :) If you ever come across it, try "Pumpernickel" - very dark, very strong, sweet-ish taste, but very good!
No. Semmel is a specific type of Brötchen. It's round and has a five armed wavy star cut into the top. All Semmeln are Brötchen but not all Brötchen are Semmeln.
@@lolcityexpress I believe you mean a "Kaiserbrötchen". That would still never be called "Semmel" in Northern Germany. We do not use "Semmel" at all except in the word "Semmelknödel".
Good morning 🌞 Having my breakfast and watching your video is a wonderful way to start the day ☺️🍻😎 A good bakery in the neighborhood is definitely a huge advantage. If you have the opportunity to buy it fresh you mostly don't need much more, sometimes just the bread, a little bit of butter and sometimes some salt or i like it with slices tomatoes or cucumber's on top. What we did when I was a kid was cutting a slice of bread, giving some sugar on top and put it on a grill for a few minutes. It was very tasty. Rolls, buns and part's of bread have different names in Germany from region to region. Brötchen, Semmel, Schrippe, Weck, Rundstück oder Bömmel with a few different ways to prepare them are all names for almost the same thing. Like the different kinds of beer 🍺. Thanks for celebrating bread it definitely deserves it. Wonderful video 😊
If you ever gonna move somewhere else again, you'll miss the bread. At least this is one of the first things I'll miss, whenever I am abroad for more than two weeks.
I always like to lunch in Germany when I'm there, I always order a Frikadellen brötchen at the bakery. The fun story about the first time I ordered it is that I thought it was the same as a dutch bakery product with almost the same name (frikandelbroodje), I can say that it is something totally different but i love it. When I heard Grayson speak german, I would almost forget that you and your family moved to germany so recent. Sehr gut Grayson!
Another aspect of german bread "culture": You should introduce your kids to the legendary character "Bernd das Brot" from an old kids tv show. (see en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernd_das_Brot )
hm I don't know but........ "Bernd das Brot" is a series made for the time in the early evening, when the kids channel pauses. Bernd is a very tragic and grumpy charakter......more for the adult sense of humor, not meant for kids so much. Sometimes ironic or even cynical. Most kids don't like Bernd, in the best case they feel bored.
@@Herzschreiber depends on the age of the kids. Me and my sister found him hilarious when we were around 8-10 years old :) but very young children won't get the dry humour, yes :D
Hallo ihr Lieben, eure Begeisterung für unsere deutschen Brot,- und Brötchensorten ist schön anzusehen. Gottes reichen Segen 🙏🏻 Liebe Grüße aus Berlin/ Germany. Angie P.S. Kompliment an den Sohn, er spricht wirklich hervorragend die deutsche ( schwere ) Sprache 😃👍🏼
Hi all, I'm from northern Germany. During my childhood my perants made the classical rule with s four childs: Frühstück (bread with jam), Mittag (warm supper) und Abendbrot (bread with cheese and saussage). The Abendbrot was and still is very important in our family: it has the status of sychronizing the whole family and very often our friends. About 1978 the culture change a little bit: they gave us information on healthier bread (black bred), and better not using butter but instead Quark (sweet or salty). About 1990 there started a next change: ToGo-Shop opened everywhere, even at tha railwaystations/subways etc. The slogan was connected to "don't waste your time" and "be more efficient". Soon after that another movement came up, the "slow down"-movement. But they remained very little..." In between "we" found out, that a lot of the ToGo-Breads/Snacks are made from "bad" dough; industrial created dough wich is everything, but not healthy. Here in the region where i do live now exist a snackbar; the sells "Lecker-Ecke", some sort of whitebread like "Fladenbrot", inserted with healthy salad, tomatoes and a really awful sauce. You can try it once or twice, but you should avoid to use the snacks as regular food. And of course: if your're thinking about snackbread you're very fast in thinking of "what does the other bakeries do"? My experience of this: most of small bakeries a real traditional and do real good bread. Some of the groups also. The smaller it is, the better ;-) Tip: ask your friends, where you can find a windmill, which produces wheat. A really great experience! milldatabase.org/counties/germany/by There a lots of other informations on bread, about wheat, Sauerteig, süßes Brot etc. But I gues you're already beaten by lots of informations ;-) Enjoy Bavaria, germany and europe ;-)
I’m so glad you’re getting to know German bread! My favorite is an unusual, light color but flavorful (and healthy) bread called “Dinkel - Hirse Brot”. So far as I know, you can only get it at the Hofpfisterei Bakeries. They specialize in “Öko” products, another word for Bio or organic. A few years ago as I first started buying that bread, I asked if they could slice it pretty thin, because it’s so dense. The employee gladly obliged, and gave me a sample. I said oh, that is perfect!. She then said “You can order it that way every time, just say: sliced at 7mm please” Ordering bread slices in EXACT MILLIMETERS! I was blown away! Where else but Germany, can you order your bread “Millimeter genau” and the help gladly does it? That was just a mega Germany moment for me! By the way, the Dinkel Hirse Brot tastes great toasted with butter or melted cheese or cream cheese or whatever on it. It’s still a little too/ dense for a sandwich, but I love it.
Well, sorry to burst your bubble: the 7mm is dialed in (set) at the bread cutting machine. So like every engine it has an indexed scale where you can set the width of the slices. Doesn't matter what you chose but you have to memorize it somehow.
@@V100-e5q You‘re right, but it doesn’t burst my bubble. I’m just impressed with the German exactness, like having 0,5L printed on a glass in a restaurant, or washing machines labeled in degrees. In the US, most washing machines were simply labeled “hot, warm, cold”. Most people I’ve talked to in Germany know exactly how many PS (horsepower) their car has, when most Americans only know the amount of cylinders their car’s engine has (maybe). I’m just appreciating the culture.
My best friend of 30 years moved from our Heimat Germany to New Jersey three years ago. When I had the chance to visit her and her family, the only things she wanted me to bring was sourdough bread and Milka chocolate. 😅 So, just keep exploring and enjoying German bread.
German Brot and Brötchen is propably one of the things a German will miss the most when traveling abroad. I can't stay away for too long without them, so I'm unable to migrate somewhere else. BTW All of our east European neighbours are much closer (in my opinion) to German Brotkultur than France, Netherlands or Italy. You should check those out too, when you have a chance.
If you feel like going abroad, you should go to Australia where I grew up. We had so called continental shops in Perth and my parents would always buy German rye bread there. You could also get it at some supermarkets.
I just love, love, love your posts. Your sons German is absolutely amazing!! People in Germany especially older people like my mother in law like to have their warm dish for lunch. I think this is common here because a lot of people went home for lunch due to the fact that their work was close to home and it was less expensive if you eat home. In ancient times people had their workshops where they lived and they also had the warm dish in their lunch break. Warm food at night sometimes is said to be to heavy to digest before bedtime.. But nowadays a lot of people have their warm meal for dinner. By the way we have this old saying which I will write down in German “ Frühstücke wie ein König,, esse zu Mittag wie ein Bürger und esse am Abend wie ein Bettelmann. Have fun exploring more German bread 🍞 Andrea
Happy I discovered your channel. I love how straight forward and thoughtful you explain everything. Even me as a German have learned something from your videos! And to answer your question: YES, I love bread! Eating it every day. And most people I know too. Your son speaks German perfectly - awesome!
France uses white flour for their breads since the french revolution. Before that, white flour was only eaten by kings and queens. Since the monary ended, everyboby wanted to eat like the kings used to. So the whole wheat flour lost its popularity in france. If you come to the north, like Hamburg, try Franzbrötchen. Its like a cinnamon roll, but different. It came to northern germany during the Napolean occupation. They tried to tell the local bakery how to make croissants, but its did not work properly. So the Hamburger people called it a "french Brötchen" -> Franzbrötchen. There are even stores like FRANZ & FRIENDS, which are specialize on Franzbrötchen. Every time I am back in my home region I must eat one :) Btw. you said in one of your earlier videos, that your kids like the trains in your town. If you visit Hamburg, the Miniatur Wunderland is a must-see.
Miniaturwunderland is the BEST thing you will ever experience. You can be there for a whole week and can still Discovery new things. It is really Made with love. Plan a whole day just for Miniaturwunderland. You won‘t regret!
@@an7855 Exactly. It is the best for a rainy day with kids. All the different parts of the world the show there are stunning and not only trains. They have firetrucks, cars, police cars, airplanes, in the swiss a cablecar. They are now working on the racingtrack in Monaco, whith tiny racing cars, driving a real race. You should look at the guinnes world record they just won this year, amazing. A train running through the wonderland playing classical musik on waterfilled glasses. It takes 6 minutes and it so perfectly timed.
No! Go on a sunny day! It is too crowed on rainy days! It is really not just trains. The airplanes lift off, the ships are in real water, the Cars also drive on the Streits. It is SO beautiful!
So, when i was a kid we had Brötchen/bread with butter + marmelade and coffee for breakfast, warm meal for dinner and bread with butter and meatslices (Wurst) and tea for supper. These days we have the warm meal for supper. But these days i make our own bread. I'm build in 1965.
Hello there, thank you for sharing your experience ( and praise ) with German bread and starting this video with again the most beautiful impressions of your area - that was an ' Augenschmaus' ! 'Semmel' is a synonym for 'Brötchen' in Germany's south. In Hamburg though there is a special kind of soft wheat roll that is called 'Semmel'. And when it comes to dialects 'Brotzeit' is also a regional term in southern Germany. I was raised in the old fashioned way food wise with bread in the morning, a sandwich for school, a warm meal at lunchtime after school (back then school ended around 1 p.m.) and 'Abendbrot' consisting of bread with savoury toppings, in the summertime some tomatoes, cucumbers or pickles to go with it and tea. I started to change that habit when my daughter went to school beginning in the 80s when school sometimes ended in the afternoon. I then cooked a warm dinner in the evenings so we could have it together as a family. I still prefer that today because I found that a complete warm midday meal makes me very tired a I need a nap afterwards. I'm impressed with your research on the German bread culture. Stay safe everyone and have a lovely Sunday - hopefully without thunderstorms and heavy rain as are predicted in some areas !
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"southern" Germany: Granny means "Bavaria", not "southern Germany". Baden-Württemberg is generally considered "southern Germany" (because it is, it goes down to the border to Switzerland, the south-west), and we say neither "Brotzeit" nor "Semmel" in most of Baden-Württemberg. And I never owned or wore Lederhosen. ;-)
I think for most germans the bread here is something we take for granted. We don't pay much attention to it as long as we are in Germany but is something we miss very dearly when we are abroad.
5:20 put the "hard part" (first slice) for 1 or two minutes in the toaster. My kids get the Brotkultur taugth in kindergarten, they tried a lot of whole grain bread, visited a bakery and they get thaugth that whole grain bread is much healthier then white wheat (flour) bread. 13:50 min i grew up with Abendbrot mainly bread, that was because most of the mothers didnt work and there were no school meals, because school was over at 13:30, you went home and dinner was ready, the family had abendbrot together with bread. Now this changed, more mothers do work and schoolmeals are offered in most schools, so the families have dinner in the evening together. We called it warm ("real dinner") or kaltes abendbrot (with bread, cheese, ham etc.)
Your son's German is amazing and your other son's bread dance was so nice and entertaining. Wonderful. 👍😀 As I have muesli with freshly cut fruits and Naturjoghurt in the morning, I only eat bread in the evening. It's mainly Eiweißbrot with lots of seeds in it. Or I eat a Körnerbrötchen mit Käse. I love bread rolls! And old cheese like Bergkäse on them. I have a Halogenofen and so can also eat yesterday's rolls after baking them for some minutes. They are soft inside and crispy outside, even after 2 days in the fridge. 😀
In Austria, a „Semmel“ is actually only used for two types of breadrols: the original „Semmel“ (or „Kaisersemmel“) is a white bun with a characteristic 5 branch star pattern on it (which dates back from the time, when the Semmel was folded by hand into it‘s form - sometimes you can still buy a „Handsemmel“, which is more expensive than the machine-made ones and usually has a somewhat „imperfect“ form (as it is still handmade). This type of Semmel is typical for the Vienna area. In southern parts of Austria, you also find the „Langsemmel“, which has an elongated oval form and only one „folding stripe“ across it. Everything else cannot be named „Semmel“. (At least not in Austria.) Fun fact: For me as an Austrian names of Bread products in Germany, especially in the more northern parts, are also „foreign“. You find „Schrippe“ and other expressions - but I do not have a clue, what that really is. So all I could do in a German backers is also point - and I am a native speaker!
Schrippe und Semmel sind das selbe. Semmel (Bayern/Ö) = Brötchen (Hochdeutsch) = Schrippe (Berlin) = Wecken (Schwaben) = Rundstück (Norden). Sind einfach Dialekte, sehen aber alle aus wie Kaisersemmeln oder Langsemmeln.
I still remember the days when I was young and my mom finally let me go to the local bakery ON MY OWN to get some rolls, bread and pastry for the family. It meant a lot to me haha :D
Great video today. And the first German clip of Grayson since „Abendessen ist fertig“ :-) . Love it. His German pronounciation is great! I can detect only 10-20% of non-German accent at most! His R in „Brot“ sounds excellent, and he even already uses some words in their slang-form, like „zusammm“ instead of „zusammen“. Can‘t wait to hear more of you guys speaking German :-)
The Mittagessen (warm, big meal) used to be eaten at lunch time. People used to work close to home (often farmers or merchants) and were able to come home for this big meal. But in modern society, it is not always possible to come home at noon to eat, therefore the big warm family meal is eaten in the evening now in many households (and only a Brotzeit at lunch time)
wie gut euer sohn schon deutsch spricht und sogar ziemlich akzentfrei. würde mich freuen, wenn sie in euren videos vorkommen, wenn sie deutsch sprechen bzw. antworten, auch wenn ihr mit ihnen englisch sprecht bzw. etwas fragt.
Rye Bread is my favourite, by far, simply for the energy it contains, full corn bread is an energy powerhouse, breakfast and breaktime bread gives you the energy you need for the work day.
And it also keeps you full for a lot longer than wheat bread so you'll start eating a lot less once you get introduced and have access to this glorious godsend delicacy
I grew up in Manhattan in the 60's where there were neighborhoods of German, Hungarian, Polish and other nationalities (such as "Germantown" not just "Little Italy" or "Chinatown"). I ate quite alot of Rye and Pumpernickel then. The foods were fantastic and so were the people. The neighborhoods were kind of destinations with fabulous restaurants. Sadly that is all gone to gentrification and homogenization. Most bread especially white bread in the US is awful. I don't think it's even "bread" but a genetically modified "foodstuff" that when eating it is designed to make you hungrier. So looking forward to visiting Germany to experience eating good bread and all the rest it has to offer. May even have to have a beer! Thanks for another great vid!
I moved from Germany to Chicago and after some time I was so desperate for Bread lol. After a while I found a place that a German guy opened. They sell Brezels there. Most expensive Brezel of my life but I enjoyed every single bite
I know why you might be a bit confused regarding the different names for the Brötchen/Semmeln/Rundstücke/Schrippen (all words for that little bun or bread roll, depending on the part of Germany you live in). It was confusing even for me as a German woman when moving to different parts of this country. There are different words for the bread rolls depending on the region you live in, but also for other types of bread for example, or for some household tasks (wischen or feudeln for sweeping the floor), or for some garden tools for example (Harke or Rechen for a rake), or different words for ringing the doorbell (klingeln or schellen), or even for the Saturday itself (Samstag or Sonnabend) etc. etc., and more than once I just spoke my way and people would understand what I meant but just looked at me a bit funny. Well, they still do, but that's probably not because of regional diction ;-) Sooo, it's a bit confusing for Germans too sometimes, don't worry. And - yes - the variety of bread is overwhelming, but we are so used to it that it's good to see it through other peoples eyes and to be reminded of such a blessing once in a while. Abendbrot ... *sighs* that takes me back down memory lane. Nowadays when my kids visit me we often prepare our main meal of the day together in my kitchen in the evening, or one is more hungry at a certain time of day and the other is not, meaning: one of us snacks a bit here and the other/s grab a slice of bread there or (*blushes*) even takes some food to eat while watching TV - the traditional ways sort of ... dissolve (?) nowaday, at least I experience it so. When I was young, say 50 years ago, my family of origin gathered round the kitchen table in the evenings when the parents were both home from work or had finished their chores around house and garden, and yes, there were different sorts of bread and butter and sausage and cheese or other things like smoked fish for example, and we were all together literally having 'Abendbrot'. While it's not necessary of course to stick to every single oldfashioned tradition, some of them would be worth being kept up i.m.o. B.t.w. - the German your kids speak after such a short time is adorable. Almost no accent, correct grammar and pronounciation ... wow!
A thick slice of fresh Dinkelvollkornbrot with just a little butter is a fantastic snack! The light sweetness of the bread and butter in combination with the crunchy grains...So lecker!
I think Semmel is just the regional word, other parts of Germany use Brötchen or Weck(le) for the same thing. I love the fact that you found a good bakery and go there so much! They must be like, "oh wow, the business really took off since the Americans moved there!"! 😄
Born and grown up in Germany and now living in a westafrican country for more than 5 years, I shouldn't have watched this video 😭😭😭 But luckily I have a cooker with oven since last month. One of the first things I prepared was a spelt flour bread with sunflower seeds, flaxseed and carrots. To die for, I tell you!!
In former times, a typical german bread was a Roggen or Sauerteig bread without grains. People were pure and had no money for so much chees or ham....This things you tried are very common now a days. But very good.
That highly depends on the region, same with beer. The less fertile plains in the North and east only supported rye cultivation whereas in the areas in the west and south wheat cultivation was/ is more dominant due to our very fertile "Löß" soil (earth created at the end of the last ice age by glaciers rolling down the mountains and grinding everything in their path into very fine and dense earth). My relatives from Hannover always fill a couple of buckets with earth when they come here for a visit to use in their garden back home
I felt so bad for yall after i read all the bread comments under the video you mentioned :D You are right though :D it is not really known outside of Germany except there is a town with a german bakery somewhere :D Neve take any comment peronal or so. The german language is just ver straight forward and thats why in comments from germans you always read "you must" "you have to" "didnt ou know" :D It sounds always so awful and mean, but it is just like the german language works on a daily basis gramatically and practical :D No comments are ment to be disrespectful :D the every day german language just doesnt say "i would maybe suggest that you.." "I would recommend" thigns like that that make it sound less mean :D instead it is "you have to.." and so on :D
Never thought about the language being for Germans coming across as rude and direct. I mean culturally we are probably quite direct but the language aspect really blew my mind. Thank you for that!
Where I'm from we actually say "Vesper" as Snack instead of "Brotzeit". And wherr we live now (just about an hour away) they just use "Frühstück" im Kindergarten. So yeah, too many differences between regions.
It's probably already been refered to but like you said, Brotzeit can be anything from a little snack to a full dinner. We often have Brotzeit (Brot, Aufstrich, Schinken, Oliven, Gurken...) for dinner in the summer when it's too warm for a warm meal. But you're right, it can also be a little snack time between lunch and dinner. Brotzeit is life.
Also if you haven't already: try Kartoffelbrot/Kartoffelsemmel! It's one of my favorites and it contains pieces of potatoes. You don't even wanna add anything since it's already so good itself. Enjoy! ;)
I am German, and when I travel in an other region, I also point with my finger on what I want. There are different words for the same and there are the same words for different bread or cake or meat an so on
You can pinpoint your location by the names of different products in the nearest bakery, but that usually requires local knowledge. Similar with the variety of products at the local butcher and cheese-maker.
The healthier bread ist not the darker ones. The whole wheat or rye is healthier ( vollkorn). At the bakery the color of the bread often is made with malz (some Kind of sugar).
That's true. But you can tell it apart by color. Bread is either white'ish or grayish. If it's more a warm (dark) brown tone, it's colorized with malt.
Brotzeit in kindergarten is mostly Frühstück. A warm meal in kindergarten is Mittagessen... und Abendessen in former times had bin a Brotzeit too. But things changes, specialy because of lot of nations living here. Sometimes also because of work. The food here is very diverse because of different nations. It makes it very interesting. Your son speaks a very good german. Fantastic after this short time. Thumbs up.
Phil and Deana introduced me to it. It is the king of the pastries/breads, at least at my Aldi. Avoiding carbs, I walk quickly by that section of Aldi.
when i spent half a year abroad i didn't have running water or electricity but the thing i missed most was bread, it's literally the best thing about germany
Phil has it right in his video, it's exactly how pretty much all of us grew up. :D Frühstück consistent of bread slices with meats or cheeses for school in our lunchboxes, a warm lunch we had at our school canteen (or home if that was possible), Abendbrot was where the whole family came together for a bigger "bread spreat". Butter, meats, cheeses, salads, liver sausage, cut vegetables. On the weekends however lunch easily steals the spot as the main meal. Since the father was home from work, and the whole family is together, lunch meals were always cooked entirely by hand and almost always consisted of a hearty big meat dish. Still today many German men do not consider a meal a real meal if it hasn't meat in it. My father still grumbles that salad is not a meal. Typical attitude of that generation. :D Lunch used to be the main meal in a German family for many decades, not only on weekends but weekdays as well. This was for wholly practical reasons. In the early 19th century a lot of big companies started to provide meals for their workers at lunch time. These meals were not only sometimes free but much cheaper than anything they could afford, and so of course the workers took full advantage of a big hearty basically free meal. This is how it came to be that lunch was the biggest meal of the day. In recent years it has changed quite a bit. On weekends lunches are still traditional family affairs but especially young people tend to cook and frequent the restaurants at supper now for their main meal, to come together with their coworkers and friends. Edit: sorry, I totally messed up lunch and dinner here before! 😂
🗣Tell us when you guys hear our son (Grayson) speaking German and then when you see our other son's (Griffin) BROT DANCE! 🕺Our kids LOVE German bread here as much as we do. They're upset when the bread box is empty.
I live near Düsseldorf and whenever I order a Semmel in the bakery, they repeat : Oh, you mean Broetchen , you probably come from southern Germany?
@@ad220588 hahaha! We love how we learn a lot more about German culture with each video we publish. Now we know - Semmel in Bavaria, Brötchen in most other parts.
Ich komme aus Deutschland, aber jetzt wohne ich in den Niederlanden. Also when I lived in Texas, I did miss the bread...It is goooood.
@@MyMerryMessyGermanLife another common name for Brötchen is "Weck" (or "Weckle" in a certain southern region :) )
@@furzkram In the west a Weck is a sweet Brötchen
The most common bread is "Das da, bitte!", but even better ist "Nein, das daneben."
underrated
!
Sehr gut! Manche sagen aber gar nichts und zeigen nur mit dem Finger drauf.
Das mit Körner 😁
@@TheJacksnipe So würde ich es in Ägypten auch tun müssen, wenn ich noch kein Wort der Sprache kenne.
@@Jahsoldier93 Mit KörnerN, wenn ich schon gut Deutsch kann. Ansonsten könnte es auch ein de.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C3%B6rner_(Werkzeug) sein.
German: "We need to buy some bread"
American: "dont worry, we have bread at home"
Bread at the american Home: Toast "bread"
German: dies inside
🤣🤣 yeah it's not even close to being the same!
We call toast trash in general compared to REAL bread.
@@MyMerryMessyGermanLife There is a three-part "reenactment series" called "Victorian Bakers", which has four modern day bakers make bread like at the beginning, middle and end of the victorian era. The first and third part are quite nice and idyllic ... but the second part is "hard on the stomach", because it also shows what was being done to compete for lowest prices. You can blame THE ENGLISH for american "love" of toast ... and they even cut off the "crust" for their sandwiches, the only thing that has any taste in the stuff.
Brötchen is standard German, Semmel is Bavarian, in the south-west we call it Weck, in northern Germany they call it Rundstück and in Berlin Schrippe.
French baguette and Italian ciabatta is good - once in a while - but I couldn't live without Mischbrot, dark Vollkornbrot, Kartoffelbrot, Laugengebäck, or Körnerbrötchen.
I love ciabatta much........if it only wouldn't dry out so fast!
@@Herzschreiber not with Sourdough and 18 Hours fermentation
In Austria eine Semmel ist a white bread roll, all the others are Weckerl.
In northern Germany we call it Brötchen.Only in the city of Hamburg you can also say Rundstück
@@honkytonk4465 That's not true, "Rundstück" is just the low german word for it. The term even exists in danish and norwegian (rundstykke) as well as swedish (rundstycke).
Of course Germans love to travel, but no matter in which country we are, sooner or later we all do miss our bread. The sentence "Ich möchte mal wieder 'richtiges' Brot" is probably one of the most used ones in our vacations abroad 😂
That's exactly what it is like! When I visited France for the first time as a child back in the seventies everyone was crazy about eating baguette at first. After two weeks we missed richtiges Brot so much! By chance we discovered rye bread on a small market. But it could not make up to the bread we ate at home. My father was actually a baker. He used to make bread with sourdough with an old family recepy. In my town people still talk about the famous Scharfs Brot.
Me when i had an exchange in the US. I was very very devastating what Americans/ supermarkets call "bread". It was basically cake 😭
Im croatian and i have traveled many countries in Europe and what I can say hands down is that German bread is the best bread in Europe and probably the world in trems of variety, quality of ingredients and manufacturing. With over three thousand different bread specialties it has the by far laugest variety of bread in Europe. I haven’t tried as much but since I settled down in Germany I have tried a lot. Whenever I visit Croatia or travel other countries I do miss my German bread.
Actually Croatia has pretty great bread, too. I can't get over some amazing pastries and sourdough that I can get in any pekara
The triangle is a Laugenecke, and indeed it is a mixture between a croissant and a pretzel
They are amazing. I love them
dont forget, when you have old bread left over, you can still turn them into semmelknödel!
One of the culture shocks for me as an American who brought her American horse into Germany, was the fact that old bread is used as a horse snack. My American horse had no idea he would soon be eating human food. Now every last crust of bread is fed to my horse, and friends bring old bread by for them. American horses have no concept of this.
@@LythaWausW yeah, I rember a time in my early years when I used to live close to a stud farm. I collected and dried out all of my bread leftovers and shrivelled apples to bring them there. (of course I asked the owners before feeding the horses.)
@@LythaWausW don't give the horses too much of it... too much can cause colics.. also strangers might feed (poisonous) mouldy bread. Just be careful.
Or Armer Ritter
*Semmelnknödeln!
We have an inofficial "eating rule", so we're not too full in the evening: Morgens wie ein Kaiser, mittags wie ein König und abends wie ein Bettler - In the morning like an emperor, lunch like a king and in the evening like a beggar.
It suits my beer drinking.
Bread is so important for german culture, that we actually have several times a day dedicated to it: Abendbrot (Dinner), Brotzeit (Snack before lunch or/ and in the afternoon) and Frühstück (breakfast, "early piece" (of bread). This is because grains are native to europe, things like potatos or corn etc came later after america was discovered by europeans and grain was cheap enough for everybody, like peasants. Same btw with sausages: they were a cheaper way to eat meat, so peasants could have that. Along with Germany's many different regions and traditions, you get a lot of variations of bread and sausages over the centuries.
What a great comment, we learn so much from you guys!
@@MyMerryMessyGermanLife thank you so much! Btw some standard breads you will find basically everywhere in Germany: Mischbrot, Weizenbrot, Schwarzbrot, Roggenbrot, Weltmeisterbrot, Pumpernickel. From the bread rolls: standard Brötchen (Weizenbrötchen), Rye Brötchen (called Schusterjunge in many regions), Kaisersemmel (a hearty Weizenbrötchen), Laugenbrötchen and Laugenbrezel, Mohnbrötchen (poppy seed Brötchen), Sesambrötchen (sesame Brötchen). These are basically part of every bakery in Germany.
@@MyMerryMessyGermanLife A lot of the cuisine of any given country can be explained with the location. In the case of Europe, people developed a mutation which allowed them to drink milk at one point, hence there are certain dishes which you won't find in countries where most people are lactose intolerant. In addition, there aren't many spicy plants native to Germany, but quite a few sour ones, consequently the cuisine is not particularly spicy (a mexican would most likely say "bland"), but Germans really have a thing for sour dishes with Rhubarb aso. We also have figured out pretty much every way to eat wheat over the centuries.
@@d.7416 Mischbrot was our go-to bread when we first got here. Now we like Dinkelvollkorn better!
Bread was not that common in the Dark Age, because youd needed a miller, who proceded the crops. So it was expensive. Many people made some form of crop porridges or groats as daily meal
This reminds me of my business trip to the US in late 2019... I tried out different kinds of bread that the supermarkets around had, but no matter what I tried, everything was very sweet/sugary and tasted almost the same, even the ones that looked a bit healthier with some seeds in it. When I came back to Germany after 3 weeks, I skipped sleeping off my jetlag and went straight into the next bakery to buy onion bread and good and simple cream cheese, because I craved it so much. Bread over sleep, really.
But I feel like that since the pandemic more people in the US learned to bake bread, make their own sourdough etc. and discover "real" bread instead of buying the stuff from supermarkets. Maybe that trend sticks :)
Correct about the sugar, it's a nightmare here in the US. After a lot of research I found 1 kind of no sugar bread in Costco. Bake a lot of bread in the bread machine, or better yet, bring a suitcase of rye, whole grain/seed bread from every visit to Poland.
Supermarket Bread ist like a Sponch Bread. XD You have to go to an decent Bakery. Supermarket Berade ist industrial produced Bread!
Hehehe i remember that the very first thing i did at the airport after returning from my exchange year in Canada was getting a Vollkornbrötchen at a bakery and just becoming overjoyed when i took it in my hand and the crust crackled. It's indeed the small everyday things we usually take for granted that we miss the most and can bring us the greatest joy.
@@BigBenGermany1983 even the industrially produced bread in German supermarkets is good... Way better than in other countries
@@ZionKid95 at least 100 times (most of the time 1000 times) better than every bread I have found in the USA.
In the 35 years I've lived in the US, American bread culture has marginally improved. We now have an artisanal bakery in our town, although the prices are artisanal as well (i.e., expensive). One of my first actions whenever I touch down in Frankfurt is ALWAYS to get a pretzel with butter, even though it's from an industrial bakery and certainly not the pinnacle of German baking. For most Germans, this attachment to their bread is primal. My childhood is suffused with memories of getting a "Butterbrot" (or "Stulle") handed to me by my mother or grandmother.
If you are in Frankfurt, check out "Confisserie Graff" (they have a few sale locations). They do have amazing and some kind of exotic bread even for Germans.
Try for example the Appler. (Apple Whine bread / White bread made with apple whine, baked over with cheese and cheese is also baked into it... though Germans would normally never touch white bread - this one is a clear exception - it's awesome with fresh cheese.)
Though it's called a confisserie, the one who bakes the bread is a master-baker (special degree of profession). And that is something you can taste.
I was just blown away from how good Grayson's German is just after 4 month. Absolutley amazing.
Yes! Seriously! He's progressing greatly!!
When you travel through Germany. Check out the bakeries because every region has its own kind of bread if you know what I mean. Bread types in the south vary from bread types in the north, west, east and so on.
Yes!
So true! I moved from Bavaria to Swabia and I miss the good Bavarian bread! Swabia has good types, too, but ... *sigh*
@@MyMerryMessyGermanLife But beware! There are a lot of stores that belong to one big "industrial" bakery and they sell the same stuff everywhere. e.g. "Wiener Feinbäcker"/"Heberer" (those two are the same, btw)
I like your videos, the laid back way of telling thinds.
We always have to bring Franzbrötchen from Hamburg when visiting our "southern" relatives in lower saxony :D
And try it with local coldcuts and cheeses as they usually compliment each other very well
Your kiddo's on the direct way to talking an accent free German, which is nearly impossible for adults to accomplish. It's so much easier for kids to learn a new language, so it's wonderful that they're given that chance!
Bread is life! Growing up with it, I can't imagine having only the white bread - I feel like I'm not really full and satisfied after eating that compared to spelt bread etc. :) I am gonna have some breakfast bread now ;-)
Yum, enjoy your Frühstück! Yeah I can't go back to white bread after living here. Such a waste of calories!
@@MyMerryMessyGermanLife best topping for a Vollkornbrot is Leberwurst or Mettwurst and some pickles. The dark breads you eat normally with salty toppings like cold cuts or cheese, the white breads you eat more sweet.
With old white bread rolls you make Semmelknödel (dumplings). works also with old Brezeln. Some bakeries sells Knödelbrot in bags.
This are old dry white bread rolls cut in slices. Knödel are easy and fast to make at home.
For 6 person:
10 old bread rolls in slices pour over with ca. 0,3l hot milk and let it soak up a little. Cut 1 onion in small cubes and steam it in butter in a pan without color. Put it to the soaked bread with 3 eggs, nutmeg, salt, pepper and fresh cut parsley. When you use Brezel bread rolls not so much salt.
Form balls from the Knödel dough and boil it in saltwater. Balls with the size of golf balls 8min., with the size of tennis balls 15min. Best side dish for roasted pork or other stews dishes with sauce.
A classic dish in Bavaria is Rahmschwammeln mit Semmelknödel. Fresh cut sauté mushrooms with diced onions, cream, little broth(Vegi, Chicken or Veal), parsley, salt and pepper. If you like you can put some white wine or Cognac at the end in the sauce.
Nice to see, you enjoying our bread. I learned in a bacery, 30 years ago. Greetings from Hannover
in Germany theres a old saying: "in der Not schmeckt die Wurst auch ohne Brot" so that translates too "in times of crisis the sausage will also taste without the bread". This is because if the crops were bad people would have to survive on their salted and smoked sausagewares and bread would be in very short supply. But obviously everyone would be very upset.
I am afraid you misunderstand the saying. It is meant ironically. Up until the last 50 years, meat and processed meat were much more expensive that grain products. So "in times of crisis" nobody would "survive" on meat... Basically, the saying could also go smth like this: "On a diet, the cake tastes even without the cup of tea" :)
But then there's the liquid bread.
Its true. We live next to Germany and their Bread is the best I ever eaten.
"Brötchen", "Semmel" and "Weck(erl)" refer to the same thing but are used in different regions. Brötchen is used in the north, Semmel in Bavaria and Austria and Weck/Weckerl/Weckle is used in Baden-Württemberg.
In the north of Germany "Semmel" is sometimes used for one specific kind of roll (Kaisersemmel)
Ah we didn't even know about Weck/Weckerl/Weckle!
@@MyMerryMessyGermanLife „Schrippe“ in Berlin/Brandenburg 😁
@@MyMerryMessyGermanLife ... also Laabla, Mütschli, Kipf, Rundstück, Weggli, Brötla, Mutschel ... you can get confused by regional names for a roll. Try to use the word "Brötchen", it is almost understood by everybody in the german speaking area. 😏
Brötchen und Weck in Hessen most common ...
@@wanderwurst8358 Caution - if you use the word "Brötchen" with the Swabian diminutive '-le' instead of '-chen', you get "Brötle" or rather "Bredle" - and that's something totally different. "Bredle" are (Christmas) cookies. 😁
German „Brötchen“ even found it‘s way in international known child literature....when „Heidi“ returns from Frankfurt am Main to Swiss the brings Peter‘s grandmother Brötchen
I’ve always loved that story!
There are two things that I miss a lot when I‘m on holidays in another country: our bred and our tap water. I am from Austria and I love bred with just a bit of butter and a pinch of salt
hallo landsfrau! da hast du recht gibt kaum was besseres!
Austrian tap water is so insanely good, it's really hard living abroad where the water is clorinated. I'm consoling myself with Russian bread though, it's quite good.
Yes, that is as I feeks about it. Austrien bread tastes great. It's the one thing I'm still missing since moving to Amsterdam
I never realised the importance of bread for me until I lived in the US. They had 50 different types of soft white bread but that was it. I ended up only eating ‚pretzel‘ dinner rolls, which was the closest thing to german bread i could find, but it was still kinda soft 🤷🏻♀️
So sorry! I don't know how we could ever go back...
It´s gotten better in big cities. You have to look for a german, italian or french bakery. But in general you are srewed in the u.s if you like tasty bread.
@@stefan6412 'unfortunately' I lived in a village/small town and needed someone to drive me bc there was no public transportation in my area and I don't have a licence, so my options were limited. I lived in Michigan and we got all of the groceries from 'Meijer'
If in the USA, see whether you have access to La Brea Bread. I can get it at Giant stores here, and I just looked it up for Michigan, and yes, Kroger's there has it too, at least according the the web. If you cannot find it fresh, you should at least be able to get their Take and Bake bread rolls. The baking instructions are for defrosted bread, if it is frozen, you need to first defrost, or adjust your baking times. Some of the rolls are whole grain, with tons of grains inside the dough. Yum! as far as fresh loaves of bread go, I love their 5 grain, and their Harvest Loaf, but you may have to try a few. A good La Brea loaf will cost you 3.99 $. If you find something that is priced much lower (Costco - looking at you here), then you have a knock-off brand that is fast rising bread and will give you a belly ache, so you have been warned. Don't buy that stuff.
Also, at Aldi, you can get at least packaged Schwarzbrot, which tastes just fine, but obviously, it is nice to have the fresh stuff here and there. Some other stores sell Knaeckebrot, occasionally, I find a German store in a certain town that has a Mischbrot or something similar, and so bit by bit, I find my way through the bread deserts of America.
This does not mean that I do not miss my 3000 choices and wonderful bakeries from Germany. it just means that I can get by with a bit of effort.
The days of only toast (the typical packaged white bread) are over.
Oh, and there is seeded rye bread, which even my kids will love to eat.
Hope you can find some of all this for yourself too.
@@cailwi9 When I'll be back I might check that out, thanks for the info. Unfortunately I wasn't able to visit yet because of covid.
To add some history to this: Baking bread and brewing beer are very much linked when people realized in ancient times that beer quality was helped a lot when bread had been baked the day before. In these times, of yourse, it was not clear why, today we know it is due the yeast present in the grain. There is a famous verse in the Rumpelstilzchen fairy tale starting out as follows: "Heute back ich, morgen brau ich" which translates into "Today I bake, tomorrow I brew"
The term „Semmel“ is used in Bavaria and Austria for „Brötchen“. In Austria we usually only call the traditional „Kaisersemmel“ a Semmel while all other buns are referred to as „Weckerl“.
My favourite Weckerl is a Kornspitz with Kürbiskernen on top. (Not sure if Kornspitze are called the same in Bavaria too 🤔)
Grayson‘s pronunciation is great! He almost sounds like a German native speaker already 😊
exactly! Semmel is just a dialect word, hochdeutsch would be "Brötchen", in north-west Bavaria/Franconia people use "Weggla" and where I live in the Saarland (near France), we use "Weck" and we call Baguette "Flûte" oder "Flitt" which comes from the french word for flute. Our bakery also makes "Elsässer" which is a Weck made from fine, white wheat flour, with flour on top.
and don't forget the "Schrippe" in Berlin, the "Bemme" in Saxonia!
@@guntherseidel9354 I knew Bemme as a thick slice of bread, like Stulle in Berlin but I didn’t know that Bemme is used for bread roll in Saxony.
Cool
not quiet accurate... as in deed Franconia (north half of Bavaria) you distinquish Semmel (which is the simple, white one - also referred as "Griffel" for your sausage) and Brötchen, which are the more corny buns.
In the rhineland we call it Brötchen unless it is a Kaisersemmel which we also refer to by this name. Though a Wecken here means a very sweet dense white bread loaf (or in case of a Weckmann a breadpuppet with a clay pipe in its arms) that is usually handed out during Saint Martin's celebrations.
I moved to Saxony Anhalt for my med school studying and here they even say "Mittagbrot" (Lunch bread) in some placed. I am very happy to have all the bread types and choices in Germany. Everytime I am on vacation somewhere else, I am happy to come back home and have a good old sour dough bread from my favourite bakery.
Its a good (and somewhat important for a German ^^) thing to have a real "craft bakery" close to your home that still bakes its own rolls and breads and not only warms up the sample-pieces from the factory like in bigger chain stores.
Brötchen is just the general word!
But every region has its own word for that:
Semmeln in Bavaria
Schrippen in Berlin
Weck un Baden
Kipf,
And some
Oh my word! Grayson's German is P E R F E C T! It's almost impossible to detect an accent.
Happy you enjoy the bread so much. And I am completely with you, Marillenmarmelade (Marillenkonfitüre) is THE best! A close second for me is the sourcherry (Kirsch/Sauerkirsche). A very good - but also very expensive - brand is D'Arbo (actually Austrian).
I've never heard that Italy is knows for their bread (I'm German). We've been there countless times on vacation and one thing we always hated was their bread lol it's just so white!
🤣🤣🤣 that's so funny! Americans associate Italy with pasta and bread. But if America had bread as good as Germany's bread, I'm sure Americans would also not like the bread in Italy!
Vacation in the Netherlands was always really strange. They just don't have bread Germans would call bread.
@@schumifannreins295 That’s not really true. You can get spelt (Dinkel) and rye (Roggen) bread in the Netherlands too. Might be it’s some time ago you‘ve been in the Netherlands?
@@claudiakarl7888 Yes, but honestly, it‘s not the same. I am very often in the Netherlands, and we always bring our bread - and then buy the delicious Dutch cheese 🧀
This is why Europe is great when we work together. Gor a decent breakfast you need Italian coffee, French croissant, German bread, Irish butter and cheese from the netherlands😅
I can see the day coming when Grayson gets his own TH-cam spin off channel!
Fun video! I love Dinkel with seeds/nuts.
But the reason for my comment...... 😯 Your son is a superstar. After only a few months to be able to speak such great German so freely! Absolutely amazing! Way to go!
Awe thank you so much! He will appreciate your comment!
Yes and he already has a Bavarian accent. So sweet !
In my grandmother's time, every little village had a bakery hut. The old houses were often thatched, so there was a great risk of fire. The stone bakery hut stood a little to one side.
First the men had to make the wood, which had to dry for a long time. Every family had their day of baking. A bright fire was lit in the stove early in the morning. When the stones were really hot, the fire was swept out. Then the prepared loaves of bread were pushed in.
A thermometer and a clock, that's all it took until the bread was baked.
Then sheet cake was inserted. So the dough is topped with pieces of apple or plum. Or you just put a crumb crust on it.
In the evening the baking day was over and the bakery hut was swept.
The next morning it was another family's turn.
Mondays were the least popular, because then the oven was still cold. Therefore, the back days were changed in a fixed row.
Once a year the local association make a back festival like in the old days.
Hi Jens! Wow, love to read about this history. Thanks so much for sharing. This is so charming!
Semmel is dialect for Brötchen mostly used in Southern Germany, especially Bavaria. Brötchen is High German, we don't differentiate when it comes to roles or buns. 😉 In the area around Berlin it's Schrippe. In the region around Hannover, Münster, Düsseldorf and Bielefeld it's actually Brötchen. Here in Westfalia the rule is the darker the bread the better the taste. That's why we invented Pumpernickel. It's the darkest Vollkornbrot one can buy. It's quite hearty and westfälischer Knochenschinken, any kind of Wurst or Käse goes very well with it. There is an enormous variety of regional bread specialities throughout Germany. We are not known in Europe to eat the most bread, but we are the ones with the greatest variety of bread. In Germany 3.200 different kind of breads are registered at the Brotregister!!! Insane? Maybe.🤔 But at the end of the day we are just a weird bunch of nerds who just don't know when to stop. 🙈🙉🙊 P.S. I love your videos.
At Saarland we say to Brötchen- Weck !
In Austria "Semmel" is a specific type of "Brötchen". For us "Brötchen" is a small bread, just a portion of bread. That can be any type. In Austria there are two forms of "Semmel", the "Kaisersemmel" (round) and the "Langssemmel".
Amazing how your son has picked up German. Terrific pronunciation 👍🏼
Around Abendbrot and Mittag
Back in the old days - when I was a kid in the 70's and 80's in small towns, it was common for stores and services to close for 2 hours at lunch and that was the big meal.
Was especially unique coming from North America.
Big lunch, sometimes followed by a little nap
Then back to work from 2-6
And dinner was the bread and charcuterie thing
Spelt/Dinkel is pretty new in wide distribution as an 'ancient grain' and probably the easiest wheat alternative - also meaning Dunkel pasta is the most normal tasting.alternative to normal pasta.
Would be interested in hearing your and the kids experience with a diet with less processed foods and additives than is normal in the USA
I love knowing the history of that! Yeah so we were very concerned with processed foods in the US and didn’t eat them often. I have a blog and have many articles about the health dangers of processed foods. So the way we eat here in Germany is pretty much the same as we did in the US, except to eating lots of bread and sausages!
At least in my area that is still the norm, especially in the countryside towns. Lunch sometime around 12-13 o'clock followed by a short 20-30min nap before going back to work. Many businesses where people don't go home for lunch even close their curtains/ shutters for that time and the staff just takes a short nap on the floor with some pillows and blankets to cushion them
"Brotzeit" is a term used in southern Germany, it basically means "light meal" or a break to have some food. "Abendbrot" usually means "supper" or to have one's evening meal, even if there is no actual "Brot" involved.
That's true. You wouldn't hear that in Berlin. We call it Vesper.
@@melanieberlin5684 yes, nowhere in Germany it is called "Brotzeit" but in Bavaria! At school or kindergarden I know it as "Pausenbrot" and from Baden Württemberg as "Vesper". Funny that BW and Berlin are equal here.
Oh! I didn’t know it was only in Bavaria. So much to learn!
In Norddeutschland “Brotzeit” or “Vesper” is called “Fofftein” (15) which is lower German (Niederdeutsch or Plattdeutsch) and means to take a break.
True, Brotzeit is typical Bavarian. While "Abendbrot" is not traditionally Bavarian. Some people here still call it "Nachtmahl" but normally people just refer to it as Abendessen which is neutral - could be cooked dinner or bread and cold cuts or cheese.
"Brötchen", "Semmel", "Weckle" : it's just different names used in different regions, for the same things.
Ok! Thanks. That clears it up.
Dont forget the Berliner Schrippe !
In Norther Germany - especially Hamburg - we call it Rundstück -> a round piece of Bread.
I don't agree completely... a Semmel is always a special shape of Brötchen... round, more flat than puffed and with a typical spiral pattern on top. Also the dough is different, no shiny crust, more of a dry floury texture.
@@petereggers7603 these kind of Brötchen are called "Kaiserbrötchen", not Semmel.
Frisches Brot mit Butter, am besten noch ein bisschen warm … mhm … Suchtgefahr!
Es macht Spaß, euch zuzuschauen. 😊
By the way, I found what I enjoy the most by following quite a number of "immigrants" channels who came from the states and a lot of other countries is: They all made (and still make) me realize how awesome much of the stuff is over here (let it be views or forests or castles, culture, food, ... you name it) that I (and likely numerous other Germans too) take for granted, without even thinking about it.
That made me appreciate what I have A LOT more. Some things actually form the first time ever.
And it made me realize I'm more than happy to "share" this with all of you, it makes me mighty proud of this ("my") corner of the world, although I didn't do much to provide it to you.
And finally, I'd be more than happy to see any of you growing your roots here and stay for good.
You got the same (if not bigger) appreciation for the things you found here, so I'd say it's YOURS too now, and rightfully so!
I’m so glad us newcomers can help you appreciate the beauty of your country. I suppose that’s true for all of us - we can easily take for granted what we have always known.
Germany has BY FAR the biggest variety of bread worldwide. And it's not only the quantity, the quality is unmatched too. It is ridiculously underrated. Don't get me wrong, I would never say no to Focaccia or Baguette, but it's just not the same level ;)
Watching your video, I am literally dying right now... I have not been back to Europe for 4 years, and seeing especially the Laugenbrötchen makes me wanna take a flight RIGHT NOW! :D
I love that you love to eat your breads and rolls/buns with butter - as a "Butterbrot" is just a german classic! But you should also try your hearty, darker, seed filled breads with a spread of Frischkäse (as Bresso, Miree, Exquisa,..)
Yep, Kräuterfrischkäse - cream cheese with herbs, spread thick, with a bit of chopped fresh onion or chives on top, accompanied by a light fruity white wine - perfect for an evening with people coming over.
Wow, I really got a bit startled when your boy started speaking German, practically like a German.
That bread looks lecker!! 😍🍞 Thanks so much for the mention! Love the editing and the storytelling in this video. 💜 ...and now craving some Brot. 😅😋
"Brötchen" is the German term that id understood everywhere, whereas "Semmel" is mostly used in southern Germany / Bavaria :) If you ever come across it, try "Pumpernickel" - very dark, very strong, sweet-ish taste, but very good!
No. Semmel is a specific type of Brötchen. It's round and has a five armed wavy star cut into the top. All Semmeln are Brötchen but not all Brötchen are Semmeln.
@@lolcityexpress I believe you mean a "Kaiserbrötchen". That would still never be called "Semmel" in Northern Germany. We do not use "Semmel" at all except in the word "Semmelknödel".
Oh,it must be Sunday! Nice to see you again
Hi Christian! That's right, Sunday is video posting time.
close to/in bavaria many people say semmel, but its the same as brötchen :)
And in Swabia they say Weckle.
It's Weck, Plural and Singular in Palatine and it's called Weckla in Frankonia!
And Rundstück in Hamburg.
I live in Swabia and we say Wecken
It's "Rundstücke" in Hamburg 😃
Good morning 🌞
Having my breakfast and watching your video is a wonderful way to start the day ☺️🍻😎
A good bakery in the neighborhood is definitely a huge advantage.
If you have the opportunity to buy it fresh you mostly don't need much more, sometimes just the bread,
a little bit of butter and sometimes some salt or i like it with slices tomatoes or cucumber's on top. What we did when I was a kid was cutting a slice of bread, giving some sugar on top and put it on a grill for a few minutes. It was very tasty.
Rolls, buns and part's of bread have different names in Germany from region to region.
Brötchen, Semmel, Schrippe, Weck, Rundstück oder Bömmel with a few different ways to prepare them are all names for almost the same thing.
Like the different kinds of beer 🍺.
Thanks for celebrating bread it definitely deserves it.
Wonderful video 😊
Kürbisbrötchen are best when they contain so much Kürbisöl that the dough is still green after baking 💚.
If you ever gonna move somewhere else again, you'll miss the bread. At least this is one of the first things I'll miss, whenever I am abroad for more than two weeks.
And tabwater! I didn't even realize that tabwater being clear and tasteless is not a given untill i spend some time abroad
The german bread was the one thing I missed the most while living 25 years in Jamaica. Love you guys.
I always like to lunch in Germany when I'm there, I always order a Frikadellen brötchen at the bakery. The fun story about the first time I ordered it is that I thought it was the same as a dutch bakery product with almost the same name (frikandelbroodje), I can say that it is something totally different but i love it.
When I heard Grayson speak german, I would almost forget that you and your family moved to germany so recent. Sehr gut Grayson!
True! A dutch frikandel is more like a "skinless" sausage and the spices are similar to those used in english sausages.
Your attitude is so nice! Positive, open, 'begeistert' (enthusiastic) and wanting to learn. Have a great summer.
Another aspect of german bread "culture":
You should introduce your kids to the legendary character "Bernd das Brot" from an old kids tv show.
(see en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernd_das_Brot )
hm I don't know but........ "Bernd das Brot" is a series made for the time in the early evening, when the kids channel pauses. Bernd is a very tragic and grumpy charakter......more for the adult sense of humor, not meant for kids so much. Sometimes ironic or even cynical. Most kids don't like Bernd, in the best case they feel bored.
@@Herzschreiber The original show (Tolle Sachen) was very much aimed at kids and pretty well received.
@@Herzschreiber depends on the age of the kids. Me and my sister found him hilarious when we were around 8-10 years old :) but very young children won't get the dry humour, yes :D
Hallo ihr Lieben, eure Begeisterung für unsere deutschen Brot,- und Brötchensorten ist schön anzusehen. Gottes reichen Segen 🙏🏻 Liebe Grüße aus Berlin/ Germany. Angie P.S. Kompliment an den Sohn, er spricht wirklich hervorragend die deutsche ( schwere ) Sprache 😃👍🏼
Guys, your son's German is really awesome already!
Hi all, I'm from northern Germany.
During my childhood my perants made the classical rule with s four childs: Frühstück (bread with jam), Mittag (warm supper) und Abendbrot (bread with cheese and saussage).
The Abendbrot was and still is very important in our family: it has the status of sychronizing the whole family and very often our friends.
About 1978 the culture change a little bit: they gave us information on healthier bread (black bred), and better not using butter but instead Quark (sweet or salty).
About 1990 there started a next change: ToGo-Shop opened everywhere, even at tha railwaystations/subways etc. The slogan was connected to "don't waste your time" and "be more efficient".
Soon after that another movement came up, the "slow down"-movement. But they remained very little..."
In between "we" found out, that a lot of the ToGo-Breads/Snacks are made from "bad" dough; industrial created dough wich is everything, but not healthy. Here in the region where i do live now exist a snackbar; the sells "Lecker-Ecke", some sort of whitebread like "Fladenbrot", inserted with healthy salad, tomatoes and a really awful sauce.
You can try it once or twice, but you should avoid to use the snacks as regular food.
And of course: if your're thinking about snackbread you're very fast in thinking of "what does the other bakeries do"?
My experience of this: most of small bakeries a real traditional and do real good bread. Some of the groups also. The smaller it is, the better ;-)
Tip: ask your friends, where you can find a windmill, which produces wheat. A really great experience!
milldatabase.org/counties/germany/by
There a lots of other informations on bread, about wheat, Sauerteig, süßes Brot etc. But I gues you're already beaten by lots of informations ;-)
Enjoy Bavaria, germany and europe ;-)
I’m so glad you’re getting to know German bread! My favorite is an unusual, light color but flavorful (and healthy) bread called “Dinkel - Hirse Brot”. So far as I know, you can only get it at the Hofpfisterei Bakeries. They specialize in “Öko” products, another word for Bio or organic. A few years ago as I first started buying that bread, I asked if they could slice it pretty thin, because it’s so dense. The employee gladly obliged, and gave me a sample. I said oh, that is perfect!. She then said “You can order it that way every time, just say: sliced at 7mm please” Ordering bread slices in EXACT MILLIMETERS! I was blown away! Where else but Germany, can you order your bread “Millimeter genau” and the help gladly does it? That was just a mega Germany moment for me! By the way, the Dinkel Hirse Brot tastes great toasted with butter or melted cheese or cream cheese or whatever on it. It’s still a little too/ dense for a sandwich, but I love it.
And for those wondering:
"Dinkel" = spelt
"Hirse" = millet
Well, sorry to burst your bubble: the 7mm is dialed in (set) at the bread cutting machine. So like every engine it has an indexed scale where you can set the width of the slices. Doesn't matter what you chose but you have to memorize it somehow.
@@V100-e5q You‘re right, but it doesn’t burst my bubble. I’m just impressed with the German exactness, like having 0,5L printed on a glass in a restaurant, or washing machines labeled in degrees. In the US, most washing machines were simply labeled “hot, warm, cold”. Most people I’ve talked to in Germany know exactly how many PS (horsepower) their car has, when most Americans only know the amount of cylinders their car’s engine has (maybe). I’m just appreciating the culture.
My best friend of 30 years moved from our Heimat Germany to New Jersey three years ago. When I had the chance to visit her and her family, the only things she wanted me to bring was sourdough bread and Milka chocolate. 😅 So, just keep exploring and enjoying German bread.
German Brot and Brötchen is propably one of the things a German will miss the most when traveling abroad. I can't stay away for too long without them, so I'm unable to migrate somewhere else.
BTW All of our east European neighbours are much closer (in my opinion) to German Brotkultur than France, Netherlands or Italy. You should check those out too, when you have a chance.
If you feel like going abroad, you should go to Australia where I grew up. We had so called continental shops in Perth and my parents would always buy German rye bread there. You could also get it at some supermarkets.
I just love, love, love your posts. Your sons German is absolutely amazing!!
People in Germany especially older people like my mother in law like to have their warm dish for lunch. I think this is common here because a lot of people went home for lunch due to the fact that their work was close to home and it was less expensive if you eat home. In ancient times people had their workshops where they lived and they also had the warm dish in their lunch break. Warm food at night sometimes is said to be to heavy to digest before bedtime.. But nowadays a lot of people have their warm meal for dinner.
By the way we have this old saying which I will write down in German “ Frühstücke wie ein König,, esse zu Mittag wie ein Bürger und esse am Abend wie ein Bettelmann.
Have fun exploring more German bread 🍞
Andrea
The bread with nuts and seeds and the darker ones really fill up the belly :D Its great for a breakfast for kids in my opinion
Happy I discovered your channel. I love how straight forward and thoughtful you explain everything. Even me as a German have learned something from your videos! And to answer your question: YES, I love bread! Eating it every day. And most people I know too. Your son speaks German perfectly - awesome!
France uses white flour for their breads since the french revolution. Before that, white flour was only eaten by kings and queens. Since the monary ended, everyboby wanted to eat like the kings used to. So the whole wheat flour lost its popularity in france.
If you come to the north, like Hamburg, try Franzbrötchen. Its like a cinnamon roll, but different. It came to northern germany during the Napolean occupation. They tried to tell the local bakery how to make croissants, but its did not work properly. So the Hamburger people called it a "french Brötchen" -> Franzbrötchen. There are even stores like FRANZ & FRIENDS, which are specialize on Franzbrötchen. Every time I am back in my home region I must eat one :)
Btw. you said in one of your earlier videos, that your kids like the trains in your town. If you visit Hamburg, the Miniatur Wunderland is a must-see.
I just love how the traditions today have their origins from such interesting events so long ago! And you guys still know them!
Miniaturwunderland is the BEST thing you will ever experience. You can be there for a whole week and can still Discovery new things. It is really Made with love. Plan a whole day just for Miniaturwunderland. You won‘t regret!
@@an7855 Exactly. It is the best for a rainy day with kids. All the different parts of the world the show there are stunning and not only trains. They have firetrucks, cars, police cars, airplanes, in the swiss a cablecar. They are now working on the racingtrack in Monaco, whith tiny racing cars, driving a real race. You should look at the guinnes world record they just won this year, amazing. A train running through the wonderland playing classical musik on waterfilled glasses. It takes 6 minutes and it so perfectly timed.
No! Go on a sunny day! It is too crowed on rainy days! It is really not just trains. The airplanes lift off, the ships are in real water, the Cars also drive on the Streits. It is SO beautiful!
@@an7855 Ja, maybe it's overcrowded on rainy days. Anyways it's fantastic.
So, when i was a kid we had Brötchen/bread with butter + marmelade and coffee for breakfast, warm meal for dinner and bread with butter and meatslices (Wurst) and tea for supper. These days we have the warm meal for supper. But these days i make our own bread. I'm build in 1965.
My grandma always says : Eat breakfast like an emperor, lunch like a king and dinner like a beggar.
Da muss ich euch recht geben Mädels!!!!
Ich liebe zwar auch Baguettes oder Croissants.
Hello there, thank you for sharing your experience ( and praise ) with German bread and starting this video with again the most beautiful impressions of your area - that was an ' Augenschmaus' !
'Semmel' is a synonym for 'Brötchen' in Germany's south. In Hamburg though there is a special kind of soft wheat roll that is called 'Semmel'. And when it comes to dialects 'Brotzeit' is also a regional term in southern Germany.
I was raised in the old fashioned way food wise with bread in the morning, a sandwich for school, a warm meal at lunchtime after school
(back then school ended around 1 p.m.) and 'Abendbrot' consisting of bread with savoury toppings, in the summertime some tomatoes, cucumbers or pickles to go with it and tea.
I started to change that habit when my daughter went to school beginning in the 80s when school sometimes ended in the afternoon. I then cooked a warm dinner in the evenings so we could have it together as a family. I still prefer that today because I found that a complete warm midday meal makes me very tired a I need a nap afterwards.
I'm impressed with your research on the German bread culture.
Stay safe everyone and have a lovely Sunday - hopefully without thunderstorms and heavy rain as are predicted in some areas !
"southern" Germany: Granny means "Bavaria", not "southern Germany". Baden-Württemberg is generally considered "southern Germany" (because it is, it goes down to the border to Switzerland, the south-west), and we say neither "Brotzeit" nor "Semmel" in most of Baden-Württemberg.
And I never owned or wore Lederhosen. ;-)
@ you are right. Thank you.
I think for most germans the bread here is something we take for granted.
We don't pay much attention to it as long as we are in Germany but is something we miss very dearly when we are abroad.
5:20 put the "hard part" (first slice) for 1 or two minutes in the toaster. My kids get the Brotkultur taugth in kindergarten, they tried a lot of whole grain bread, visited a bakery and they get thaugth that whole grain bread is much healthier then white wheat (flour) bread.
13:50 min i grew up with Abendbrot mainly bread, that was because most of the mothers didnt work and there were no school meals, because school was over at 13:30, you went home and dinner was ready, the family had abendbrot together with bread. Now this changed, more mothers do work and schoolmeals are offered in most schools, so the families have dinner in the evening together. We called it warm ("real dinner") or kaltes abendbrot (with bread, cheese, ham etc.)
Oh wow! Brotkultur taught in kindergarten! It starts early! Good idea to put the first hard part in the toaster.
Your son's German is amazing and your other son's bread dance was so nice and entertaining. Wonderful. 👍😀
As I have muesli with freshly cut fruits and Naturjoghurt in the morning, I only eat bread in the evening. It's mainly Eiweißbrot with lots of seeds in it. Or I eat a Körnerbrötchen mit Käse. I love bread rolls! And old cheese like Bergkäse on them. I have a Halogenofen and so can also eat yesterday's rolls after baking them for some minutes. They are soft inside and crispy outside, even after 2 days in the fridge. 😀
In Austria, a „Semmel“ is actually only used for two types of breadrols: the original „Semmel“ (or „Kaisersemmel“) is a white bun with a characteristic 5 branch star pattern on it (which dates back from the time, when the Semmel was folded by hand into it‘s form - sometimes you can still buy a „Handsemmel“, which is more expensive than the machine-made ones and usually has a somewhat „imperfect“ form (as it is still handmade). This type of Semmel is typical for the Vienna area. In southern parts of Austria, you also find the „Langsemmel“, which has an elongated oval form and only one „folding stripe“ across it. Everything else cannot be named „Semmel“. (At least not in Austria.) Fun fact: For me as an Austrian names of Bread products in Germany, especially in the more northern parts, are also „foreign“. You find „Schrippe“ and other expressions - but I do not have a clue, what that really is. So all I could do in a German backers is also point - and I am a native speaker!
Schrippe und Semmel sind das selbe. Semmel (Bayern/Ö) = Brötchen (Hochdeutsch) = Schrippe (Berlin) = Wecken (Schwaben) = Rundstück (Norden). Sind einfach Dialekte, sehen aber alle aus wie Kaisersemmeln oder Langsemmeln.
@ Philip Kudrna
exactly
I still remember the days when I was young and my mom finally let me go to the local bakery ON MY OWN to get some rolls, bread and pastry for the family. It meant a lot to me haha :D
Great video today.
And the first German clip of Grayson since „Abendessen ist fertig“ :-) . Love it. His German pronounciation is great! I can detect only 10-20% of non-German accent at most! His R in „Brot“ sounds excellent, and he even already uses some words in their slang-form, like „zusammm“ instead of „zusammen“. Can‘t wait to hear more of you guys speaking German :-)
Oh I didn’t even know that was slang! Grayson has a knack for learning languages. We are amazed! His German is way better than our’s.
Ok, I translated it wrong. It‘s not slang >> Umgangssprache = colloquial language. Nevertheless, his German is great
The Mittagessen (warm, big meal) used to be eaten at lunch time. People used to work close to home (often farmers or merchants) and were able to come home for this big meal. But in modern society, it is not always possible to come home at noon to eat, therefore the big warm family meal is eaten in the evening now in many households (and only a Brotzeit at lunch time)
wie gut euer sohn schon deutsch spricht und sogar ziemlich akzentfrei. würde mich freuen, wenn sie in euren videos vorkommen, wenn sie deutsch sprechen bzw. antworten, auch wenn ihr mit ihnen englisch sprecht bzw. etwas fragt.
Rye Bread is my favourite, by far, simply for the energy it contains, full corn bread is an energy powerhouse, breakfast and breaktime bread gives you the energy you need for the work day.
So delicious!
And it also keeps you full for a lot longer than wheat bread so you'll start eating a lot less once you get introduced and have access to this glorious godsend delicacy
I grew up in Manhattan in the 60's where there were neighborhoods of German, Hungarian, Polish and other nationalities (such as "Germantown" not just "Little Italy" or "Chinatown"). I ate quite alot of Rye and Pumpernickel then. The foods were fantastic and so were the people. The neighborhoods were kind of destinations with fabulous restaurants. Sadly that is all gone to gentrification and homogenization. Most bread especially white bread in the US is awful. I don't think it's even "bread" but a genetically modified "foodstuff" that when eating it is designed to make you hungrier. So looking forward to visiting Germany to experience eating good bread and all the rest it has to offer. May even have to have a beer! Thanks for another great vid!
I moved from Germany to Chicago and after some time I was so desperate for Bread lol. After a while I found a place that a German guy opened. They sell Brezels there. Most expensive Brezel of my life but I enjoyed every single bite
I know why you might be a bit confused regarding the different names for the Brötchen/Semmeln/Rundstücke/Schrippen (all words for that little bun or bread roll, depending on the part of Germany you live in). It was confusing even for me as a German woman when moving to different parts of this country. There are different words for the bread rolls depending on the region you live in, but also for other types of bread for example, or for some household tasks (wischen or feudeln for sweeping the floor), or for some garden tools for example (Harke or Rechen for a rake), or different words for ringing the doorbell (klingeln or schellen), or even for the Saturday itself (Samstag or Sonnabend) etc. etc., and more than once I just spoke my way and people would understand what I meant but just looked at me a bit funny. Well, they still do, but that's probably not because of regional diction ;-)
Sooo, it's a bit confusing for Germans too sometimes, don't worry.
And - yes - the variety of bread is overwhelming, but we are so used to it that it's good to see it through other peoples eyes and to be reminded of such a blessing once in a while.
Abendbrot ... *sighs* that takes me back down memory lane. Nowadays when my kids visit me we often prepare our main meal of the day together in my kitchen in the evening, or one is more hungry at a certain time of day and the other is not, meaning: one of us snacks a bit here and the other/s grab a slice of bread there or (*blushes*) even takes some food to eat while watching TV - the traditional ways sort of ... dissolve (?) nowaday, at least I experience it so. When I was young, say 50 years ago, my family of origin gathered round the kitchen table in the evenings when the parents were both home from work or had finished their chores around house and garden, and yes, there were different sorts of bread and butter and sausage and cheese or other things like smoked fish for example, and we were all together literally having 'Abendbrot'. While it's not necessary of course to stick to every single oldfashioned tradition, some of them would be worth being kept up i.m.o.
B.t.w. - the German your kids speak after such a short time is adorable. Almost no accent, correct grammar and pronounciation ... wow!
A thick slice of fresh Dinkelvollkornbrot with just a little butter is a fantastic snack! The light sweetness of the bread and butter in combination with the crunchy grains...So lecker!
You should try the "Hagebuttenmarmelade" rose hip jam. That's my favorite and quite popular in franconia.
It's actally the only jam I really like. All the others are just to "sweet". Even the organic ones with less sugar.
@@tmarxde you should make your own jam then. Nothing better than home made jam with less sugar 😍
My desire to come to germany is increasing day by day it's like fire now by watching your videos .I also want to taste these breads!!
I think Semmel is just the regional word, other parts of Germany use Brötchen or Weck(le) for the same thing. I love the fact that you found a good bakery and go there so much! They must be like, "oh wow, the business really took off since the Americans moved there!"! 😄
Ok, good to know! No wonder I was confused.
LOL yes! They're profits have gone up since we moved here!
Same goes for Brotzeit. It’s a southern term.
One could argue whether Bavaria is really a part of Germany. 😉
Born and grown up in Germany and now living in a westafrican country for more than 5 years, I shouldn't have watched this video 😭😭😭 But luckily I have a cooker with oven since last month. One of the first things I prepared was a spelt flour bread with sunflower seeds, flaxseed and carrots. To die for, I tell you!!
In former times, a typical german bread was a Roggen or Sauerteig bread without grains. People were pure and had no money for so much chees or ham....This things you tried are very common now a days. But very good.
That highly depends on the region, same with beer. The less fertile plains in the North and east only supported rye cultivation whereas in the areas in the west and south wheat cultivation was/ is more dominant due to our very fertile "Löß" soil (earth created at the end of the last ice age by glaciers rolling down the mountains and grinding everything in their path into very fine and dense earth).
My relatives from Hannover always fill a couple of buckets with earth when they come here for a visit to use in their garden back home
We agree, German bread and rolls are wonderful. We never tire of it. Franzbrötchen is a wonderful sweet treat with coffee.
... which is a special treat in the Hamburg area. You don't get Franzbrötchen everywhere in Germany.
@peter doch, bei Lidl. Sie sind nicht perfekt, aber okay
@@an7855 Ah, ok. Danke für die Info.
I felt so bad for yall after i read all the bread comments under the video you mentioned :D You are right though :D it is not really known outside of Germany except there is a town with a german bakery somewhere :D Neve take any comment peronal or so. The german language is just ver straight forward and thats why in comments from germans you always read "you must" "you have to" "didnt ou know" :D It sounds always so awful and mean, but it is just like the german language works on a daily basis gramatically and practical :D No comments are ment to be disrespectful :D the every day german language just doesnt say "i would maybe suggest that you.." "I would recommend" thigns like that that make it sound less mean :D instead it is "you have to.." and so on :D
Never thought about the language being for Germans coming across as rude and direct. I mean culturally we are probably quite direct but the language aspect really blew my mind. Thank you for that!
Where I'm from we actually say "Vesper" as Snack instead of "Brotzeit". And wherr we live now (just about an hour away) they just use "Frühstück" im Kindergarten. So yeah, too many differences between regions.
The end piece of the loaf - the "Knust" - is the best!!!!!!
@@emilwandel ..... considering that this clip revolves around life in Germany, of course it is German
It's probably already been refered to but like you said, Brotzeit can be anything from a little snack to a full dinner. We often have Brotzeit (Brot, Aufstrich, Schinken, Oliven, Gurken...) for dinner in the summer when it's too warm for a warm meal.
But you're right, it can also be a little snack time between lunch and dinner. Brotzeit is life.
Also if you haven't already: try Kartoffelbrot/Kartoffelsemmel! It's one of my favorites and it contains pieces of potatoes. You don't even wanna add anything since it's already so good itself. Enjoy! ;)
I am German, and when I travel in an other region, I also point with my finger on what I want. There are different words for the same and there are the same words for different bread or cake or meat an so on
Oh good to know!
You can pinpoint your location by the names of different products in the nearest bakery, but that usually requires local knowledge. Similar with the variety of products at the local butcher and cheese-maker.
This video was how I introduced your content to my husband. And now everytime I watch your videos he goes "ah, watching the bread-people again?"
The healthier bread ist not the darker ones. The whole wheat or rye is healthier ( vollkorn). At the bakery the color of the bread often is made with malz (some Kind of sugar).
Not the real ones
That's true. But you can tell it apart by color. Bread is either white'ish or grayish. If it's more a warm (dark) brown tone, it's colorized with malt.
I love how informative your videos are! Even I as a German learn so much :)
Oh great! Thank you.
Ask a German what he misses most when he's abroad. 90% will immediately say: the bread!
And we totally understand now!
Brotzeit in kindergarten is mostly Frühstück. A warm meal in kindergarten is Mittagessen... und Abendessen in former times had bin a Brotzeit too. But things changes, specialy because of lot of nations living here. Sometimes also because of work. The food here is very diverse because of different nations. It makes it very interesting.
Your son speaks a very good german. Fantastic after this short time. Thumbs up.
Laugenweckle! Herrlich!
Phil and Deana introduced me to it. It is the king of the pastries/breads, at least at my Aldi. Avoiding carbs, I walk quickly by that section of Aldi.
when i spent half a year abroad i didn't have running water or electricity but the thing i missed most was bread, it's literally the best thing about germany
Oh wow! No running water or electricity. You had a true adventure!
Phil has it right in his video, it's exactly how pretty much all of us grew up. :D Frühstück consistent of bread slices with meats or cheeses for school in our lunchboxes, a warm lunch we had at our school canteen (or home if that was possible), Abendbrot was where the whole family came together for a bigger "bread spreat". Butter, meats, cheeses, salads, liver sausage, cut vegetables.
On the weekends however lunch easily steals the spot as the main meal. Since the father was home from work, and the whole family is together, lunch meals were always cooked entirely by hand and almost always consisted of a hearty big meat dish. Still today many German men do not consider a meal a real meal if it hasn't meat in it. My father still grumbles that salad is not a meal. Typical attitude of that generation. :D
Lunch used to be the main meal in a German family for many decades, not only on weekends but weekdays as well. This was for wholly practical reasons. In the early 19th century a lot of big companies started to provide meals for their workers at lunch time. These meals were not only sometimes free but much cheaper than anything they could afford, and so of course the workers took full advantage of a big hearty basically free meal. This is how it came to be that lunch was the biggest meal of the day. In recent years it has changed quite a bit. On weekends lunches are still traditional family affairs but especially young people tend to cook and frequent the restaurants at supper now for their main meal, to come together with their coworkers and friends.
Edit: sorry, I totally messed up lunch and dinner here before! 😂
Grayson's german skills are very well 👍🏻 kids are learning new languages so fast! Good job