Germans love potatoes – Bratkartoffeln (fried potatoes), Ofenkartoffeln (baked potatoes), Pommes (fries), Kartoffelpüree (mashed potatoes), Salzkartoffeln (boiled potatoes), Pellkaroffeln (boiled and peeled potatoes), and of course Kartoffelsalat (potato salad). As often as you hear about “German Potato Salad“, there is not just one potato salad in Germany, though when people talk about German Potato Salad they often mean the one that’s served warm with vinegar and/or broth.
However, there is a variety of potato salads, depending on the region, but generally speaking we can distinguish between potato salad from the South made with vinegar and broth, and the Nordic version which is made with mayonnaise.
How the potato became a success in Germany
Potatoes are native to South America, so until the Europeans conquered the American continent the potato was unknown in the “Old World”. It took some convincing, or even an order, to get farmers to grow it and consume it.
In Germany, or more precise Prussia, it was King Frederik II, also known as Friedrich der Große or der Alte Fritz, who gave such an order to the farmers in 1740s and 50s. Altogether, he issued around 15 Kartoffelbefehle (potato orders) to the people in Prussian provinces, especially Pomerania and Silesia when they were threatened by famine. He even had pastors preach to their congregations about the advantages of the potato as well as how to properly plant it. These pastors were also called Knollenprediger (tuber preachers).
People were weary of the plant, unsure how to grow it and what of the plant to eat. And for good reason, the leaves and stem as well as any green spots on the tuber are toxic. In fact, the Kartoffel was voted toxic plant (Giftpflanze) of the year 2022 by NABU (Naturschutzbund Deutschland e.V.).
Potato Salads
Many people eat Kartoffelsalat mit Würstchen on Christmas Eve. It’s easy to make, especially if you make it ahead of time, and fast to eat, so the kids don’t have to wait too long for their presents.
To make any variety of salad you boil your potatoes, preferably waxy, with the skin on. You’ll peel them and then let them cool off, unless you want to serve your potato salad warm.
Swabian Potato Salad
The description that we should aspire to when making a good Swabian potato salad is ‘schlonzig’ which is dialect; and I would translate it with ‘slurpy’ or ‘sloppy’. But let me know if there is a better word.
You cut your boiled and peeled potatoes (2 lbs) into thin slices and put them into a bowl. Cut your onion into small pieces and boil them for a short time in vegetable or beef broth (200ml). Mix in white wine vinegar (5 tbsp), mustard (2 tsp), and sugar (1 tsp), season with salt and pepper. Pour the mixture over the potatoes and stir carefully, Let it sit for at least an hour to marinade. Then stir in 6 tbsp of oil. You can garnish it with chives. (die-kartoffel.de)
Bavarian potato salad basically uses the same ingredients, but the broth is poured over the potatoes first, then the other ingredients like onions and vinegar are added.
Nordic Potato Salad
The sauce for this potato salad is a mixture of mayonnaise (130 gr), heavy sour cream (150gr), and pickle juice (80ml). Other ingredients are: 3 hard boiled eggs, celery, 3-4 pickles, 1 red onion, 1 apple (all chopped). Mix chopped ingredients into sauce and then carefully mix it with the potatoes. Let it sit. Add vinegar, salt, and pepper for taste. (malteskitchen.de)
I personally like to add some cherry tomatoes, for some freshness and color. Other ingredients can be radishes, bacon, bologna, ham, …
Other potato dishes
Of course, there are many other potato dishes. Many of them have regionally different names. In Austria, for example, the potato is called Erdapfel (earth or ground apple).
die Salzkartoffeln (pl) – boiled potatoes without skin, seasoned with salt and parsley
die Ofenkartoffel – baked potato, normally eaten with lots of (herb) quark (creamy sour cream), but you can also add mini shrimp, smoked salmon
das Karoffelmus, das Kartoffelpüree, der Kartoffelbrei – mashed potatoes
die Bratkartoffeln (pl) – home fries, fried potatoes, normally fried with onions and bacon pieces
das/der Kartoffelgratin – potato au gratin, scalloped potatoes
die Pommes (frites) (pl only), also die Fritten – french fries, eaten with ketchup or mayo or both; Pommes rot-weiß (fries red-white) are fries with ketchup and mayo; also called Pommes Schranke meaning “fries crossing gate” because German crossing gates are red and white.
der Kartoffelpuffer or der Reibekuchen – potato pancakes, potato fritters, often eaten with applesauce, fair food, this dish especially has many, many different names
die Kartoffelsuppe – potato soup
die Pellkartoffeln or die Dampfkartoffeln (pl) – boiled potatoes, potatoes in the skin, often eaten with herring or matjes in a creamy sauce
der Kartoffelknödel – potato dumplings, often eaten as a side dish with a roast
Potato Products
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