Food & Beer   /   March 10, 2017

7 Spices That Get Us Cookin’

Maybe you haven’t noticed but we talk a lot about our food; and for good reason. Every morsel of our Bavarian menu is created by master German chefs using centuries-old recipes and authentic ingredients.

What kind of German restaurant would we be if we didn’t brag about that?

But now we think we owe you a little more. Our servers often get asked what makes a certain dish taste so darn good. That’s a loaded question, but we can give you a hint and say that the secret is in our spices.

It’s the stuff variety is made of, after all.

At our Haus we have seven spices that are responsible for giving our food the authenticity you crave. Some you may have in your own kitchen cabinet; however, we have a couple of proprietary blends that are for our Haus only.

Chicken Spice
We put this blend of seasonings on our Grillhendl, otherwise known as our half chicken dish. This savory spice features paprika powder, rosemary, salt and white pepper.

Pork Roast Spice
You’ll find this concoction of pretzel salt, marjoram, garlic, onion powder and caraway in our delicious Schweinebraten, aka pork roast.

Black Pepper
Black pepper may not seem like anything special—it’s on nearly every table in America, right next to its salty counterpart. But did you know it was once used as currency? Yep, in ancient times it was a very costly seasoning only the wealthy were lucky enough to savor. It is even rumored that both Alaric I (King of the Visigoths) and Attila (Ruler of the Huns) demanded a ransom of black pepper to stop attacking Rome in the 5th century.

At our Haus black pepper is a main component of our mushroom gravy and sauerbraten gravy.

Black Peppercorns
Black pepper also stimulates our salivary glands, which brings out the flavor of our food and allows us to truly experience each bite to its fullest. But before it becomes the fine grounds you may be used to, it’s a whole peppercorn that contains flavorful oils. We add these bits of goodness to our steaks and marinades to maximize the taste potential.

Marjoram
This aromatic herb was a symbol of happiness to the Greeks and Romans, but at our Haus it is used to flavor our potato soup and pork roast. Those make guests pretty darn ecstatic so we’d say the Greeks and Romans were on to something!

Caraway Seeds
You may recognize the distinct flavor of this warming seed in our green cabbage salad, sauerkraut, pork gravy and pork roast. It’s not only delicious; it also contains powerful antioxidants that help remove harmful free radicals from your body, protecting you from certain cancers, infections, aging and more! Who knew?

Bay Leaves
Before they made their way into our tempting sauerkraut, stocks and sauerbraten gravy, bay leaves were a popular flavoring agent of the ancient Greeks. They are most commonly used whole to add flavor to stews, sauces, meats and vegetable dishes, and are removed before serving.

Now that we’ve let you in on some of our secrets, let us in on some of yours! What’s your favorite way to spice up your Hofbrauhaus experience?