Explore the Beer Tents of Oktoberfest

by Justin Glow on

Tent #1: The Hippodrom

“One of the hottest tents at the Wiesn,” notes flickr user beketchai. “This tent gets packed at opening time, so it’s hard to find a seat.”

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Tent #2: Armbrustschützen

This tent is all about hunting and visitors can sit in the themed boxes (pheasants or badgers) and admire the hunters’ trophies,” according to Bayern.by’s Oktoberfest guide.

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Tent #3: Hofbräu

“The proprietors Margot and Günter Steinberg know how to treat their guests well. It is not uncommon to already find Maß glasses being raised to toasts and guests rocking back and forth to the music at midday. This is not least because Hofbräu guests come from all over the world,” according to the official Oktoberfest website. “Americans and Austrians feel especially happy here.”

FAST FACTS

  • Capacity: 6,896 people inside, 3,022 outside.
  • Brewery: Hofbräu München
  • Website: www.hb-festzelt.de

Tent #4: Hacker

“The slogan is integral to the Hacker-Festzelt philosophy: when surrounded by clouds and stars with a cold Maß (liter of beer) in the hand, you may feel as though you are truly in a ‘Bavarian Heaven’.”

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Tent #5: Schottenhamel

The biggest and most important tent of the fest: Schottenhamel. “On the opening day of the Wiesn, at 12 pm on the dot, the mayor of Munich, Christian Ude will tap the first keg and call out ‘O’zapft is!’ confirming that the tapping was successful. It is only after this that all other tents may begin to serve beer,” according to the official Oktoberfest website.

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Tent #6: Winzerer Fähndl

“This tent is noted for its huge tower, with a Maß of Paulaner beer sitting atop it,” according to Wikipedia.

FAST FACTS

  • Capacity: 8,450 inside, 2,450 outside.
  • Brewery: Paulaner

Tent #7: Schützenfestzelt

“One thing, which has made this tent world-famous, is the sucking pig prepared in an authentic Bavarian manner in malt beer sauce and served with coleslaw. It is even served in the traditional “lukewarm” Bavarian manner and will melt in your mouth! Enjoy your meal.” — Official Oktoberfest website.

FAST FACTS:

  • Capacity: 4,442
  • Brewery: Löwenbräu

How to Eat Weisswurst in Munich

by Justin Glow on

“It’s hard to find a restaurant in the German city that doesn’t serve weisswurst,” writes Chris Gray, a freelance writer living in Heidelberg, Germany, for World Hum. “But it’s said that the white sausages should never hear the noon church bells.”

If you’re heading to Munich for this year’s Oktoberfest, there should be no escaping the traditional Bavarian breakfast of weisswurst. But there are rules to follow — traditions to be aware of — before you can dip a cut off of the albino veal sausage into a pool of sweet Bavarian mustard.

You can never be too prepared.

On where to go: “Once you find the right restaurant, seek out the table with a centerpiece that looks like a huge cast-iron ashtray and is labeled “Stammtisch.” Never sit there. Grab the table nearest to it, however. In Germany, a restaurant’s stammtisch is reserved for the regulars, and it’s where all the action is.”

On eating technique: “Now comes the tricky part. Weisswuerste are eaten peeled, and while the traditional technique is to snip open the ends and suck out the meat, you’re best off using your silverware.”

On recognizing a good sausage: “When you cut open a weisswurst, it should smell fresh, and the filling should swell out the ends-proof that the meat is of a high -quality and has been properly cooked.”

Head over to World Hum for the full low-down on properly savoring Munich’s whitest sausage.

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Fair Food On a Stick: 59 Choices

by Jamie Rhein on

Pair the words “fair food” with “stick,” and I think corn dogs. How pedestrian! How normal! How so early 1940s. That’s how long corn dogs have been fair food according to the corn dog history lesson at Food Services of America.

These days, the options for what you can lick, bite, chew, nibble or chaw on as you wander through the Midway or take in stellar entertainment options like pot-bellied pig races are dizzying. Here’s a video “Minnesota State Fair on a Stick” that serves as an ode to a summer and fall of not-so-healthy eating. The variety of people featured are as varied as the food. Unfortunately, this fair ended on Labor Day, but if you head to any fair or festival there’s bound to be food on sticks.

Big in Japan: An Ode to Ramen (Part IV)

by Matthew Firestone on

This week, Big in Japan will be bringing you a four-part series on the most perfect of foods. Part I of the series aimed to debunk the myth of ramen as being mere instant noodles. Part II of the series traced the hundreds of years of history behind this savory snack. Part III of the series broke down the different varieties of ramen noodles and stock. Today’s column will highlight several regional specialties, and will teach you how to make some great ramen at home.

I really, really, really love ramen.

There’s no shortage of great ramen shops in Tokyo. From the 300 yen (US$2.50) early-morning, after-clubbing special to the 1200 yen (US$10) special night-out affair, ramen is as varied as it is delicious. To really appreciate the different manifestations of Nature’s most perfect food however, you’re going to have to leave the capital and explore the countryside.

There’s a world of great ramen out there. Let’s explore some of the highlights.

Hokkaidō ramen (北海道ラーメン) With long, snowy winters and sub-zero chills, the northern island of Hokkaidō is famous for its comfort food, and their homegrown ramen is no different. With a thick, rich base of miso paste and local butter, and topped with fresh seafood and sweet corn, a hot, steaming bowl of Hokkaidō ramen is the perfect accompaniment to a cold, blistery day.

Hakata ramen (博多ラーメン) Originating from the city of Fukuoka, this hearty ramen features thin, curly noodles floating in a creamy, white broth of boiled and crushed pork bone. The dish is distinctive for its unusual toppings, which include pickled ginger, crushed sesame and fresh greens.

Kitakata ramen (喜多方ラーメン) The city of Kitakata in northern Honshū has the highest per-capita number of ramen shops in the country. Not surprisingly, their local variant of ramen is delicious, and features thick, curly noodles that are served in a medium-hued broth of pork and tuna stock.

Tōkyō ramen (東京ラーメン) Although it’s possible to sample just about every type of ramen in the capital, the original Tōkyō ramen consists of thin, curly noodles in a light, soy-flavored broth that is typically dressed up with seasonal vegetables, a boiled egg and slices of pork.

Ie-kei ramen (家系ラーメン) Originating from Yokohama, one of ramen’s original ports of entry into Japan from China, this increasingly popular dish is identical to Tōkyō ramen with the exception of its thick, straight noodles.

Unfortunately, if you don’t live in Japan, it’s near impossible to hunt down authentic ramen, though that doesn’t mean you can’t experiment in your own kitchen. Although I’ve tried to emphasize that instant noodles are not real ramen, that doesn’t mean you can’t dress them up and approximate the real thing.

So here’s what you do.

Boil some instant noodles in a big pot of water, and then add them to a soup of your own making. You can flavor the broth to your liking with the addition of chicken and beef stock, though don’t be afraid to get creative. A fresh egg and some mirin (Japanese cooking wine, みりん) goes a long way, though I’m partial to fresh lime juice and a few slices of habanero chilies. For toppings, don’t be afraid to add fresh vegetables such as bean sprouts, wild mushrooms and baby corn, and definitely go heavy on the minced garlic and onions.

Go wild in the kitchen, and feel free to post some recipes here.

Getting Hungry? Check out our delicious photo gallery of Japanese food. %Gallery-6477%

** Special thanks for Flickr users pepewk (Hard at Work), Carl Johan (Tasty!) and LeeBrimeLow (Chopped Ingredients) **

Great Czech Beers You’ve Never Heard Of

by Brett Atkinson on

Neil’s post on discovering the joys of tiny local pubs outside of the rip-off prices of Prague had me both salivating and reminiscing. Everyone has heard of Pilsner Urquell and Budvar, (the original and superior Budweiser), but a journey around the Czech Republic (hooray, I got it right Iva), is also a journey to Nirvana for lovers of the amber liquid. Here’s three Czech beers you’ve probably never heard of, but deserve to try at least once in your life.

  1. Eggenberg – From the quaint town of Cesky Krumlov. Try it at the town brewery or at the cosy Na Louzi pub.
  2. Bernard – A boutique brewery in the town of Humpolec, but available all around the country.
  3. Cerna Hora – The Black Mountain brewery in southern Moravia creates interesting brews like honey flavoured Kvasar. Try the range at the Cernohorsky Sklep in Brno.

There’s also Litovel from Olomouc, Hostan from Znojmo and Jezek (“Hedgehog”) beer from Jihlava. And don’t even get me started on the increasing number of micro-breweries popping up and bubbling away.

To quote Homer Simpson, or someone equally insightful. “So many beers, so little time.”

Thanks to Adam Polselli on Flickr for the pic.