While my American friends grew up drinking milk or water with their dinner, we drank tea. Germans drink a lot of tea, Black Tea, Hagebutte (Rose Hip), Chamomile, and Fenchel (fennel). But NO Germans drink as much tea as the Ostfriesen or East Frisians. It’s hard to imagine, but they consume an average of 300 liters of East Frisian Tea…
Category: German Products I Love
Products that remind me of “home”
German Shop 24 Product Reviews- German Shopping Online
Recently Germanshop24 approached me, and asked if I would like to do regular reviews of some of their products. Since I do much of my German Shopping online… and already order many of my favorite items from them… I am MORE than happy to share German Shop 24 Product Reviews. GermanShop24 carries HUNDREDS of items… from food to cleaning…
German Baumkuchen- How it’s made and where to Buy One
Baumkuchen? Tree Cake? That can’t be right! What is German Baumkuchen? This special cake didn’t get its name from the ingredients; the name came from the resemblance to the rings in a tree when you cut into it. And once you bite into this soft and flavorful cake, you will understand why everyone who tries it loves this “König der…
German Cuckoo Clocks- A Symbol of the Black Forest
German Cuckoo Clocks are a symbol of the Black Forest. We had a small one in our hallway when I was a child… and I remember watching it closely to see when it would open up to “Cuckoo!” (I’d giggle EVERY TIME!) And who can forget the Von Trapp children singing, “Up in the Nursery, an absurd little bird is…
What is the Vogelhochzeit? It’s a song to Welcome Spring!
Germans love to sing, and they especially love their folk songs. One of my favorite German Folk Songs is the Vogelhochzeit. In German School, I loved singing the fi-de-ralala part over and over. And with so many verses, the song can go on longer than the Twelve Days of Christmas! (I have a feeling that’s why my German School teacher…
How to Watch German Movies and German TV in the US
I‘m frequently asked how to watch German movies or TV shows here in the US. Generally, I turn to MHz or slip a German DVD into my multi-region player. But that’s just a tiny percentage of the German Programming available to us here. YouTube, apps, and certain websites make watching German TV easier than ever. (Even Tatort!) The availability is…
What is Gemuetlichkeit? All About this Cozy German Concept
When I arrive on my Aunt’s doorstep in Germany, she greets me with “Kommt ‘rein… mach’s euch Gemütlich!” (come in, make yourself gemütlich). And on family evenings, instead of making plans, my mother might say, “Wir machen uns Heute Abend Gemütlich” (tonight we will make ourselves gemütlich). A small, well-appointed room is described as “Gemuetlich,” and a noisy, drafty restaurant…
What is a Strandkorb? And where can You BUY a Strandkorb?
I remember the first time I saw a Strandkorb (a “Beach Basket”) on the beach. Since I grew up in California, it was a bit confusing. When we went to the beach, we just needed a few towels, a cooler with drinks and snacks, MAYBE a folding chair (if you felt like schlepping it), and possibly a sun umbrella to…
What is German Unity Day – Tag der Deutschen Einheit
What is German Unity Day or the Tag der Deutschen Einheit? This National Holiday is the celebration of when Germany unified into ONE whole country. For 41 years, Germany was split between the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) and the Democratic Republic of Germany (East Germany). They existed as two separate nations. On November 9, 1989, the checkpoints at…
What You Should Know About German Beer Coasters or Bierdeckel
When the server set the beer (and wine) in front of me with a coaster on top of it, a light bulb went off in my head. You see, German Beer Coasters are called Bierdeckel or Beer Lid, and I never quite understood why a coaster would be called a Deckel. It turns out that there’s some interesting history associated…