Local Cuisine

Local Cuisine

Hamburg is undoubtedly one of the best places in the country to enjoy fresh seafood. The flotilla of fishing boats brings a wide variety of fish to the city -- to sophisticated upscale restaurants as well as simple harborside taverns. One of the most celebrated dishes among the robust local specialties is Aalsuppe (eel soup), a tangy concoction not entirely unlike Marseilles's famous bouillabaisse. A must in summer is Aalsuppe grün (eel soup seasoned with dozens of herbs); Räucheraal (smoked eel) is equally good. In the fall, try Bunte oder Gepflückte Finten, a dish of green and white beans, carrots, and apples. Available any time of year is Küken ragout, a concoction of sweetbreads, spring chicken, tiny veal meatballs, asparagus, clams, and fresh peas cooked in a white sauce. Other northern German specialties include Stubenküken (young, male oven-fried chicken); Vierländer Mastente (duck stuffed with apples, onions, and raisins); Birnen, Bohnen, und Speck (pears, beans, and bacon); and the sailors' favorite, Labskaus -- a stew made from pickled meat, potatoes, and (sometimes) herring, garnished with a fried egg, sour pickles, and lots of beets.