Rhineland food off the ship

[bookfairy]

We are taking the Castles Along the Rhine cruise from Amsterdam to Basel. We wanted to taste local specialties, but what I have read about them is turning me off.

I want to make sure I am not eating things like pork belly and we don't know German. Any safe suggestions?

[Buckland]

Everything we had was absolutely delicious - especially the sausages. I don't know what you have been reading, I couldn't say enough for the food we had. Mind you, we didn't stay in any town for dinner - all those were on the ship. But the kiosks and little restaurants we went to were all fine.

 

Buck

[orchestrapal]

If you do not eat pork watch out.. It is in all sausages and in many other dishes. If you ask about "Schwein" they will tell you if a dish contains pork. We also do not eat it and travel extensively in Germany and are prepared to always ask. Even Schnitzel which we always assumed would be veal is often pork.

[lsbauer]

I'm not sure but I think pork belly is bacon.

 

Larry

[steamboats]

Saumagen (stuffed pork belly - actually it´s not belly but stomach) is really pretty hard to find although it´s a traditional dish there.

 

As for the Schnitzel: Wiener Schnitzel must be veal. Schnitzel Wiener Art (Vienna style) is usually pork. Any other Schnitzel (Jägerschnitzel, Zigeunerschnitzel) is usually pork (not fried but plain with a sauce - Jägerschnitzel comes with a mushroom sauce, Zigeunerschnitzel with a onion/bell pepper sauce).

 

At touristy places along the Rhine river it´s also likely that you can get a English menu.

 

steamboats

 

PS: Obviously Saumagen is common in the US too, see here http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Hog-Maw/Detail.aspx

[bookfairy]

Steamboats actually hit the nail on the head. I love sausage, bacon, pork chops, and roast, but there are parts of a hog that I can't get past. I am from central Illinois (pork country) and we do not make Saumagen here that I know of. It is not even in the international section of my Illinois Pride Pork Cookbook. Frommer's Germany talks about the Rhine being subject to good natured ridicule because of Saumagen and other dishes with questionable contents. That was making me a little worried. Thank you all for helping.

[webfoot]

Stuffed Pork Belly is a specialty of the Pennsylvania Dutch ... my aunt loves it ... but I didn't see anything like that on any menus in Germany ...

 

But I heartily recommend the sausages ... they are wonderful!!!