Lately, I’ve taken to watching the German TV show Wissenshunger (Hunger for Knowledge), which is a show about all different kinds of food topics. Tonight, I learned about Bienenstich (Bee-sting) cake. It’s called Bienenstich because apparently some bakers in the 15th century were up early and a little more aware of what was going on just outside the city walls than the guards were, because they noticed the city was under attack. They happened to have some beehives available that they were collecting honey from, so they threw them down on the opposing forces, which were so surprised by this form of attack that they fled. The townspeople were so happy, they threw a festival for the bakers and created a special cake for them, which they named the Bienenstich.
What really got my attention though, was when they performed a taste test between bakery-made Bienenstich and frozen supermarket Bienenstich. It was not the outcome of the test that I found interesting (it was a draw), but the method of baking the Bienenstich. They showed how the factory and the baker make it, and the baker uses vanilla extract (“Vanille Extrakt”, to be exact). He had a huge liter sized bottle of it that he squirted liberally into the giant, industrial-sized mixing bowl. So, clearly, Germans do use vanilla extract and it is available here, somewhere, possibly only in industrial-sized bottles.
But then Wissenshunger moved on to showing how Presssack is made (head cheese, that is – I always thought the “head” part was not literal), and I was so grossed out that I had to turn off the TV.
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My hubby said they DO have vanilla extract here, not just Vanillenzucker, but I haven’t seen it. Maybe Kaufland or Real? Or, since he’s German, he just THINKS he knows what I’m talking about and actually is wrong. Like the “brown sugar” issue.
I’m still looking for an industrial sized box of Kaiser Natron, not the trick box. The trick box is the one that LOOKS more like a normal sized Arm & Hammer box, but actually just contains several of those stupid dinky packets of the stuff and a leaflet explaining to baffled Germans the wonders of baking soda.
I’ve seen vanilla extract at the Reformhaus – it was ridiculously expensive, somewhere around €12.
Then there’s little vials of Butter-Vanille-Aroma. Not quite the same though.
Over on a cooking website that I frequent ( http://www.chefkoch.de ) I’ve repeatedly read the tip to take 3 vanilla beans, slit them open, and place them in a jar or glass with 300 ml of vodka. Let it sit for at least 2 weeks, and it will turn into something similar to vanilla extract. Or maybe just vanilla flavored vodka
But I know that bakers have huge bottles of vanilla flavoring. I can’t say whether it’s the same as what we’re familiar with, though, but it would only be available at bakery supply stores. Although if you know somebody with a Metro or Selgros card you could ask them to look.
A quick google search revealed the following:
http://www.teeshop.de/product_info.php?products_id=914
and
http://www.kochmix.de/shop/getraenke/nomu-vanille-extrakt–100ml-dose-_1000526701-421.html
Looking at those prices makes me realize that the €12 bottle at the Reformhaus wasn’t *that* expensive, after all
I usually just use vanilla sugar. But for “important” recipes I make it a point to use “vanille” and not “vanillin”, its synthetic cousin.
be grateful there’s not dead granny in Tote Oma.
@debbie: I hadn’t opened my box of Kaiser Natron until you said that and you’re right, it’s packets inside! How lame! (I still have two jumbo Arm & Hammer boxes though, which is why the Kaiser Natron box was unopened)… I’ve never seen vanilla extract at a store here and we shop at Real all the time. It is pretty easy to make your own though.
@martina: I saw a Spice Island vanilla extract bottle in KaDeWe and it was also ridiculously expensive. But then I was back in the States and that same bottle, while cheaper, still costs way more than a bottle of McCormacks (or however it’s spelled).
@rita: Tote Oma is sausage! DOH! I heard some kids talking about it before and I was like, “what the hell?”
I usually watch Wissenshunger while I’m making dinner (TV in the kitchen – I hang my head in shame!) and I saw that thing about Pressack the other day. Blehhhhh! It probably tastes better than it looks, but still.
Yeah, I saw weensy bottles of vanilla extract somewhere or other, can’t remember now, but I just buy a huge bottle of pure extract when we’re on vacation and that lasts me a while. I also sometimes use that Dr. Oetker Bourbon Vanille vanilla sugar – it tastes pretty good.
@christina: Now that I know what it is, I couldn’t eat Pressack. Blehhh is right. I buy the large bottle when I’m back in the States too, and it lasts me a year. I might try doing the homemade thing this year though.
Great blog! I’ve dropped in to read it a couple of times. About the vanilla extract – don’t they have it in those little vials like the rum extract that goes into the Rumkugeln? Esp. now – i.e. the pre-Christman season – it should be easier to find, I guess.
All the best,
Trina (in NRW)