Tradition meets pleasure
Schnitzel, chips or pizza? Hungry people can find these dishes everywhere. But how about something typical from Upper Lusatia? The region attracts visitors with its diverse, fresh and rural cuisine. Saxon, Bohemian, Silesian and Sorbian influences combine to create a tasty mix of hearty classics and fine festive specialties. Taste traditional potato dishes such as Teichelmauke, regional fish or experience centuries-old brewing traditions - Upper Lusatia invites you to discover its culinary treasures.
A real potato farm
The history of Upper Lusatian cuisine tells of change and consistency. While people lived on pastries and porridge for many centuries, the potato also began its triumphal march in Upper Lusatia in the last third of the 18th century. It has shaped regional cuisine to this day. In the regional dialect, potatoes are called "Abern", also known as "Abunn" or "Aribbl". Home-grown potatoes, inventiveness in the home kitchen and seasonal ingredients such as vegetables from the garden created a unique cuisine with dishes such as Abern soup, jacket potatoes with linseed oil and curd cheese or Quarkkäulchen.
Taste regional delicacies
Whether savory or sweet - Oberlausitz specialties stand for authentic enjoyment and make the region a culinary experience. Hearty classics such as the spicy Kamenzer sausages and the legendary Bautzen mustard give every dish an unmistakable flavor. Those with a sweet tooth will be delighted by the famous Pulsnitz gingerbread, which has been made by hand for centuries and is a real highlight, especially at Christmas time. Beer lovers will also get their money's worth: the Landskron Brau-Manufaktur in Görlitz, Bergquell Brauerei Löbau, Frenzelbräu in Bautzen and the Eibauer Privatbrauerei will win you over with beers full of character brewed according to old brewing traditions.
Home on a plate: stop off and enjoy
Visitors to Upper Lusatia can experience the variety and authentic character of Lusatian cuisine in the region's inns and restaurants. You can feel the connection to your homeland in every bite. Many restaurateurs focus on regional specialties such as Stupperle or Teichelmauke, which are particularly popular on menus in southern Upper Lusatia.
Teichelmauke consists of mashed potato with a spicy broth poured over it. The mashed potatoes are arranged like a pond, hence the name. It is served with boiled beef and sauerkraut. Stupperle are typical dumplings from Upper Lusatia. In addition to boiled jacket potatoes, semolina is added to the dough. The name "Stupperle" comes from "stuppen" and means "to stuff". The name is no coincidence. After a portion of Stupperle, you feel well "stupped".
The use of seasonal and regional ingredients is a trademark. Whether traditionally prepared or interpreted in a modern way - every dish tells a story.
Wedding soup and sweet pancakes: the diversity of Sorbian cuisine
You shouldn't miss this unique culinary heritage of Lusatia when you visit the region! The Sorbs/Wends have lived in the region for centuries. The smallest Slavic people have also left their mark on the region's cuisine, which is rich in tradition. The dishes of the Sorbs are characterized by simple ingredients such as potatoes, meat and fresh vegetables and stand for seasonality, regionality and a close connection to nature.
Delicacies such as hearty beer soup, cabbage mauke with red cabbage or buttermilk pancakes embody the rustic charm of this cuisine. Festive dishes such as wedding soup or beef with horseradish sauce play a central role on special occasions and are an integral part of the traditions of the Sorbian community.
Modern chefs are also inspired. They reinterpret classic recipes and combine tradition with innovation. Sorbian cuisine invites you to experience history, culture and unadulterated enjoyment.
Traditional "Sroki" pastries
In anticipation of spring, the Sorbs celebrate the "bird wedding" on 25 January. The birds thank the children for feeding them in winter in the form of sweet pastries. The so-called "Sroki" (translation: magpie, the bride of the bird wedding) is made from milk roll or yeast dough, meringue or cream.
The pastries can be found in regional bakeries around the time of the bird wedding.
Carp, pike and sturgeon: fresh fish from Lusatia
The land of a thousand ponds: The Upper Lusatian heath and pond landscape forms Central Europe's largest man-made pond region with over 1,000 bodies of water. To preserve this habitat, it was declared a UNESCO biosphere reserve in 1996. Many rare animals and plants live here - and the Lusatian fish. Pond farming has been practiced here for 800 years. Today, the brand "Lusatian fish" brand stands for regional quality.
Only the best is put on the plate, whether in restaurants or the region's farm stores. Carp, pike and sturgeon are among the most popular edible fish. During the Lusatian Fish Weeks, numerous fishing festivals are held in Upper Lusatia every year, where visitors can talk to the pond keepers and sample the fishy delicacies.
However, restaurant chefs do not only use traditional recipes to prepare Lusatian fish. More and more kitchens are becoming much more innovative. Why not try a carp praline!
Culinary impressions of Upper Lusatia
