Food in Germany

Journal Entry #8

So far all of the food we have eaten here has been at the Hufeland Klinik... and oh... my... goodness is it good! Imagine having the best quality food prepared excellently for you and then served beautifully... then times that by 10 :)

Seriously, as someone who has avoided dairy (milk products like cheese, butter, cream, etc) for years, it’s refreshing to see how easily they can accommodate my dietary restrictions; I’ve also said that I’m sugar-cane intolerant and so they sweeten my food with “Nutra Sweet” which is what they call Stevia.

For breakfast there is a hot oatmeal bar where we can add pulverized nuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and ground flax meal than can be sweetened with a shredded apple salad. There’s an assortment of dark, thick German breads to choose from, my favorite is chock-full of seeds or nuts... I think? There’s a choice of 2 fresh jams, a variety of cheeses, as well as fresh cucumbers and carrots. Fresh fruit (apples, pears, peaches, apricots, kiwis,etc) and hot tea is available 24/7. The water we drink throughout the clinic is locally bottled mineral water (still and sparkling) and every other day a caretaker brings a fresh case to our room to drink.

For lunch (the main attraction of the day), there is a salad bar with many different types of shredded vinegar salads... carrots, zucchini, jicama, and cabbage as well as greens, sprouts, and tomatoes that rival those grown in PA. The dining room is tastefully decorated and there are 11 tables of 5 seats. 2 large envelopes have my name on them indicating where we are to sit (the same spot each meal) and contain our cloth napkins. After we get our salad, Christina or Hildegard brings us soup... so far we've had cream of asparagus, carrot ginger, broth with noodles & chives, and french onion. Once we’re done with that, she brings us the entree... so far it's been spinach tofu patties with veggie ragout, spinach gnocchi with tomato and bell pepper sauce, and mashed potatoes with lightly seared rutabaga. And finally, we get to eat the dessert that’s placed at each of our settings before we arrive... always a delicious pudding or custard... plum pudding with vanilla cream, mango custard, cherry pudding with vanilla cream, and vanilla cream pudding. Yum!

Then dinner is a buffet with a large salad bar again with the day’s soup... quiche, Mediterranean kabobs (olives, sun dried tomatoes,pickled onions, and cheese filled peppers), and leftovers from the previous dinner and lunch. An assortment of breads are available again. Meal times are signaled by melodic bells that ring throughout the klinik. Our bodies are well-nourished and our spirits our encouraged by all the delightful food we eat as well as the kindness and hospitality of the staff. They really strive to make everyone hear feel cared for in every way including how you are served in the dining room.

Last night I wanted to sing praise songs, so I went to the chapel and sang for about 20 minutes before bed... it was lovely.