This page is devoted to German Cuisine Herbs   HERBS   Dill (Dille) is frequently mistaken for fennel and anise because of its feathery green appearance when fresh. It has a pungent and unique flavor. It is often added to potato salads, to pickled cucumbers, and to seafood dishes like northern shrimp cocktails. Dried dill herb is used during winter months in soups. Dill seeds are frequently used to flavor German bread specialties.   Marjoram (Majoran) is a green-stemmed plant with round, almost hairy leaves and is similar in flavor to oregano but tastes milder.  It has a slightly bitter savory flavor and is added frequently to meat dishes and herb butters (Krauterbutter).   Parsley (Petersilie) is native to Mediterranean regions.  It is available fresh, with curly and flat leaves, and dried everywhere in Germany.  It is rich in vitamin C, has a pleasant mild flavor, and goes very well with minced garlic and onion mixtures. It is a must in German herb butters.   SPICES    Caraway (Kuemmel) comes as small seeds, usually sold dry, that look almost like celery seeds or cumin seeds, which are vital in German cuisine.  They are a must in rye bread, in cabbage and in sauerkraut specialties.  Their flavor and aroma is totally different from cumin, but they are often mistaken because of the similarity in their name. Cumin in German is "Kreuzkuemmel."   Juniper (Wacholder) - Dark blue juniper berries grow on stout prickly bushes and are easily found in higher wooded areas in Germany.  They have a clean flavor that is first slightly bitter, and later almost sweet.  Juniper berries often substitute bay leaf in the typical German "bouquet garni."  They are also used in marinades of venison to cut the game flavor of the meat, in sauerkraut specialties, and to make a white transparent distilled spirit called "Steinhaeger."   Black and white pepper (Schwarzer und Weisser Pfeffer).  Black and white pepper corns are native to Asia and are an imported product in Germany. They are the small berries of a plant called Piper Nigrum. Both black and white pepper corns come from the same basic plant, and are used abundantly in all German dishes. Black kernels have been picked still red when the pepper berry is not yet fully mature while white kernels are simply the mature pepper product removed of its outer coating. The difference is in appearance and in flavor. Black peppercorns have a stronger flavor; white peppercorns have a milder aroma.     OUR FAVORITE GERMAN RECIPE   Sauerkraut   The origin of this recipe is from a German Nanny who cooked the sauerkraut much like a stir-fry, browning the sauerkraut first like you would brown meat, then braising it to bring out all the flavors.
2 lbs. Sauerkraut 1 large onion, coarsely chopped 1 small potato peeled 1 apple 1/2 tbls juniper berries, lightly crushed 1/2 tbls caraway seeds 2 bay leaves 1 cup white wine or beer 1/2 tbls light brown sugar
Drain the sauerkraut (rinse if too salty). Set aside.  Sweat the chopped onion in a small amount of vegetable oil until soft. Do not let them brown. Add the sauerkraut and cook over high heat, stirring until patches of brown are seen. Rough grate the potato and the apple over the sauerkraut then add the rest of the ingredients. Cover and cook slowly on top of the stove for one hour. Check frequently to make sure the sauerkraut does not dry out. If it becomes too dry add some water. Serves four.   For a variation, the sauerkraut can be cooked in the oven with a piece of pork which has been browned. Cook at 325 degrees for one hour.   .