Exploring Northern Germany

This summer, my husband and I went on vacation in northern Germany, an area I haven't visited for quite a few years now. It's a region whose landscape can be generally summed up like this:


We mainly stayed in Husum, on the North Sea coast. This is a tiny town, whose claim to fame is a famous German poet and short-story writer who lived and worked there. That writer, Theodor Storm, called Husum "the gray city on the sea," and locals are rather fond of that description, and it's true that in the midst of a very hot summer in Germany, the city remained cool, windy, and damp on most days. We rented an apartment, so most meals there were based on what we could find at the farmers market and at a very good butcher shop in the center of town, Stadtschlachter Claußen.

In Germany, it's generally a good idea to stop in at the butcher shop and see what the local specialties are, and what they make themselves. In this case, they made a terrific vegetable terrine -- much like a quiche, but dense with vegetables and olives -- had a fine selection of hams and sausages, and were able to offer us some locally-made sheep cheese. I should add that, since this was the north, they had fish specialties as well, but we didn't try those.

Stadtschlachter Claußen
Markt 20
25813 Husum

We did eat seafood in the classic way: we were there during the Krabbentage, a celebration of the tiny North Sea shrimp that are so popular in the area. I have to say that I much prefer buying these at a market to purchasing whole ones to shell myself, since they are so small that it's act of true love to shell a pound of them for a friend. They have a mild, briny flavor and are often enjoyed on a crispy, fluffy bun, with a dab of mayo, and that's how we enjoyed them while strolling around along the harborside:



We didn't have great luck in getting very good seafood at the local restaurants; the food was pretty ordinary. However, we made a go of the most elegant restaurant in town. There is an old school that has been converted into a hotel, and now houses two restaurants. We chose the one called "Gourmet Restaurant Eucken", and had one of their fixed-price menus. The service was a little stiff, but very knowledgable. Most enjoyable was the focus on local products; I was really surprised by how little attention was paid to that in the other local restaurants. I very much regret not having saved a copy of the menu we had there, since the offerings change regularly, and since their website lists everything in German only.

Genießer Hotel Altes Gymnasium
Söderstraße 2-10
25813 Husum

I should add a little comment on that, too, I think. It was clear that very few English-speaking travelers visit this area, so it isn't common to find information (in museums or tourist offices) or menus in English. In fact, when we were dining, we chatted with a couple of vacationing Danes at the next table who were surprised that we were there at all. Denmark is just a short drive away, and Husum would be a lovely stop on the way from there to points south, but the town doesn't draw English travelers and certainly not Americans, to say nothing of tourists from warmer climates to the south.

We had more culinary adventures in Hamburg, so I'll continue with that in another post.

Wonderful post, thanks. It's an area we haven't gotten to and I enjoyed learning a little something new (plus, one doesn't come across references to Theodor Storm very often!).

Excellent post! I've always been curious about life up there on the peninsula. Now I know some things. Thank you! It looks worth a visit, plus it would give a chance to go out to some of the islands, and also take a trip to Flensburg, which I hear is an interesting town.

I'm a bit surprised about the lack of good seafood, tho'. I've spent some time in the Bremen-Cuxhaven area, and there was always good seafood available. One specialty especially hooked me: Kutterscholle Finkenwerder Art, a fried whole sole, stuffed with potatoes, bacon, and other goodies. Had it a number of times over the years, loved it each time!

Again, tnx for the report!

Geo

Cool post; I have never made it that far north in Germany.

About those North Sea shrimp, you mentioned the "mild, briny flavor," and that could describe my experiences with tiny shrimp in the States, though much milder and briny than flavorful. On a good bun with mayo sounds like a good way to go with them. Did you like them?

I am fond of those tiny shrimp -- at their best, they have a nice crispness. If you're lucky, you can get them fresh off the boats (along with a random fish or two that's come up in the net). And I'm sorry I didn't have Finkenwerder Scholle this time. I did see it on menus, but it seemed a little hearty for summertime. Maybe I should have been more adventurous, since my choice of very simple preparations wasn't so rewarding.