The Food of Heidelberg

Every region in Germany seems to have local favorites that are unique to that area, while everyplace seems to have schnitzel and sausage. We were only in Heidelberg for a day, so we didn’t eat a wide variety of food, but we took a chance and ate what was deemed to be a specialty of the region. It was listed on the menu as “Pork Stomach”. Needless to say, we weren’t sure at all as to whether we should order it since it didn’t sound particularly appetizing. It actually turned out to be pretty tasty and we have some assumptions as to how it is prepared.

Pork Stomach
Pork Stomach
The Restaurant
The Restaurant

Basically the pork stomach is pork meat, potatoes, and vegetables that we assume are stuffed in the stomach lining and then cooked. The result is something that looks kind of like a giant sausage or for those who are familiar with it, a slice of Spam. The texture is a little difficult to describe, but with the brown gravy it was served with, it was very good.  We probably won’t order it again, but at least we gave it a try.

Local Beer
Local Beer
Goulash
Goulash

Obviously there was local beer and we also had a very nice goulash with noodles. We have had this particular style of noodles a couple of times and they too are a little difficult to describe. They a soft and chewy, nothing like most pasta that we have had. It is a good thing that we have been walking a lot because the portions here have been very large. After almost every meal, we are asked if we didn’t like the food because we couldn’t finish the whole meal. We have done a lot of reassuring because it has been good, we just can’t eat that much.

19 thoughts on “The Food of Heidelberg

  1. You’re so right about the regional differences in Germany. I was in Stuttgart recently and my friends introduced me to food Swabian food which they said is different to Bavarian food, even though it is only a few km away. Bit like being told the food in Luton and Brighton are different in England!

  2. It looks like it tastes better than Spam, which I don’t like! I only remember trying brautwurst, as I went to an Italian restaurant for dinner on my Before Sunrise Berlin style adventure (I was only in Berlin about 36 hours). If I make it to Munich this Easter, I’ll have to find opportunities to try the delicious food there and see what of your food is in Bayern (Bavaria)! 🙂 And I’m not even a foodie!

  3. How brave of you (pork stomach!). I usually have the problem with servings that are way too large in the US, so if they’re large for you in Germany, they must be huge 🙂

  4. I never translated “saumagen” in “pork stomach” , but yes, it is correct. I don’t think Heidelberg is the place to eat it; it is very traditional in Palatinate. Even there are different varieties. Expert say: no potatoes but chestnuts. Our former chancellor Kohl loved the one in Bad Dürkheim, our favorite is in Bockenheim, actually it is only one my husband eats.

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