Nine different dishes: Saxon specialties from the Ore Mountains

Neunerlei and Saxony's home-style cooking in the Erzgebirge

What is a "Neunerlei," and which Saxon specialties from the Ore Mountains should you know? We explored this question between Seiffen, Annaberg-Buchholz, and Oberwiesenthal (Map) after. For three days we were on a culinary journey. Discovery tour Traveling through the Ore Mountains. This is especially fitting during the pre-Christmas season, when regional cuisine, Advent traditions and Christmas markets come together in the Ore Mountains.

 

 

Especially during Advent, many visitors make their way to the Ore Mountains. They are drawn not only by traditions and local dishes, but also by recipes from grandma's kitchen, which still hold a special place in the region today.

 

 

 

Miners needed to eat well

The food in the Ore Mountains is often simple. This is hardly surprising in a mining region, as life in the mining towns was hard. Silver, copper, tin, bismuth, cobalt, and even uranium were mined here. Working underground demanded a great deal from the people.

The mine operators knew that their workforce could only perform their duties with good nutrition. Therefore, they grew some of their own food. However, the region's high altitude limited the selection of vegetables. Potatoes thrive here, which is why they still play an important role in the cuisine of the Ore Mountains today.

 

 

Potato dishes were a recurring theme on our journey. We also encountered meat and game, as well as cakes and pastries. We discovered these along the way.

 

 

The nine things or "noerlaa"

One of the specialties that is particularly associated with the Christmas season is the "Neunerlei" (nine-course meal). This dish is traditionally served on Christmas Eve. It consists of a meat, poultry, or vegetarian centerpiece with nine other ingredients.

The chef places a piece of goose, duck, turkey, pork, or a vegetarian dish in the center of a special plate. He then arranges the nine side dishes around it.

 

 

Each of these symbolizes something. A green dumpling made from raw and cooked potatoes promises prosperity for the coming year. A bratwurst with mustard is said to bring strength. Peas or lentils symbolize always having enough change in your wallet. Mushrooms and beets promise joy. Baked apples represent the sweetness of life. Even beauty is considered. Bread milk with almonds is said to make your skin beautiful.

We ate a nine-course meal with roast pork and nine ingredients, right next to the Advent market in Annaberg-Buchholz.

Ratskeller »Zum Neinerlaa«
Markt 1
09456 Annaberg-Buchholz

 

 

 

 

Besides the nine-course meal, potato dishes play a major role in the Ore Mountains.

Besides hearty meat dishes like beef roulades and sauerbraten with potato dumplings, you'll often find head cheese with fried potatoes and remoulade sauce on menus in the Ore Mountains. However, there are also simpler potato dishes. We discovered some of them on our trip.

Round potatoes with quark and salad

 

 

In the Leffelstub in Neudorf they serve round potatoes with quark and salad, a dish I otherwise only know from my mother's kitchen from my childhood.

These are potatoes boiled in their skins. They are served with a spicy quark and salad. The spoon everyone uses in the Leffelstub is quite interesting. It's designed so that hardly any soup spills when you eat it.

It feels a little unusual at first. But after a few bites, you'll get the hang of it and can enjoy your meal in peace. Your sweater, shirt, or blouse will stay clean.

Leffelstub
Carlsbad street 189
09465 Sehmatal-Neudorf

 

 

Griene Klitscher

Another potato specialty served in the Ore Mountains is Griene Klitscher. It's a dish you probably know from home.

Perhaps the name is unfamiliar to you. Griene Klitscher are simply potato pancakes. The word "grien" refers to the raw potatoes used in their preparation. In Saxony, they are made with caraway seeds, which give them a spicy flavor. They are eaten with applesauce or with cinnamon and sugar, sometimes with both.

They were a great lunchtime snack for us at the Christmas market in Annaberg-Buchholz. The market's theme was "Specialties from Grandma's Kitchen," so you'll find other dishes there that were traditionally served in miners' families.

 

 

For dessert after the nine courses, there is cake like Grandma used to make.

Even for dessert, people in the Ore Mountains often turn to Grandma's recipe collection. At the Buntes Haus restaurant in Seiffen, the menu selection piqued our interest. There, we could choose between an apple and poppy seed cake with poppy seeds and cinnamon streusel, and an Eierschecke (a type of German cheesecake) made according to Grandma's recipe.

Homemade and just like Grandma used to make, we received two large slices of cake, which were enough to fill us up as a full meal on their own. You rarely find cakes like this in restaurants. They were a perfect fit here.

 

 

You can get the cakes, and incidentally also a very good lunch, at the restaurant.

Colorful house
Hauptstraße 94
09548 resort Seiffen

 

 

 

The Fichtelberg cake as dessert after the nine courses

There are also delicious cakes in the Ore Mountains. We even drove up to the Fichtelberg, the highest mountain in the Ore Mountains at 1215 meters, for one of them. The Fichtelberg Torte is on the menu at the Hotel Fichtelberghaus. This cake is an invention of the Enderlein confectionery in Oberwiesenthal.

Since the café was closed on the day of our visit, we took the opportunity to take a trip up the Fichtelberg mountain. This detour not only afforded us a panoramic view of the wintry Ore Mountains, but also a very welcome coffee break.

 

 

Frieder Enderlein is the inventor of the Fichtelberg Torte, the father of the current owner of the Enderlein confectionery in Oberwiesenthal. Its round shape is reminiscent of the Fichtelberg mountain. A layer of light sponge cake lies on top like sweet snow. The filling consists of fresh cheesecake with raspberries and blueberries.

The connection to the region is evident in the cake's shape and name, as well as in the wild berries that grow in the Ore Mountains. This cake is a good reason to make a detour. So is the view from the Fichtelberg.

Incidentally, the Hotel Fichtelberghaus has its own restaurant and café where we ate the cake. One floor up is also the gourmet restaurant Das Guck by Dirk Meinel, which is also suitable for a dinner for two.

Fichtelberghaus
Fichtelbergstrasse 8
09484 health resort Oberwiesenthal

 

 

 

Finally: fine cuisine at the Landhotel Rittersgrün

We finally discovered that the Ore Mountains also offer finer cuisine at the Landhotel Rittersgrün. There, we dined in the hotel's own restaurant. Even on the way there, it was clear that good food plays an important role in this establishment. Photos of Alfons Schuhbeck during a visit to the Landhotel Rittersgrün hung in the hallways.

We also noticed that this hotel is popular with famous guests. Among others, the Saxon Minister-President Tillich has stayed here. We were therefore very much looking forward to dinner.

 

 

We were not disappointed. After a flavorful amuse-bouche of bacon and beans, we were served a salmon rosette with fennel and orange salad. For my main course, I chose sliced ​​calf's liver with mashed potatoes and caramelized onions. Dessert was vanilla ice cream in an almond coating with eggnog cream.

The caramelized onions were particularly memorable. They had a subtle apple flavor that complemented the calf's liver beautifully. The fennel and orange appetizer was similarly harmonious. Even the dessert impressed with its meticulous preparation. Thus ended our culinary journey through the Ore Mountains in a way that perfectly suits this article.

Landhotel Rittersgrün *
Karlsbader Str. 23
08359 Breitenbrunn

 

 

The Ore Mountains are a place for gourmets, also because of the nine-course meal.

Anyone wanting to experience regional cuisine will find themselves in good hands in the Ore Mountains. The local cuisine tells stories of the miners' hard lives, but also of the ingenuity of the people in the region. This is evident in dishes like the traditional nine-course meal, as well as in simple potato dishes, cake recipes, and houses where traditions are still cherished today.

When traveling through the Ore Mountains, it's therefore worthwhile to look beyond just Christmas markets and tourist attractions. The regional specialties are also worth experiencing. They often create the lasting memories of a trip.

 

 

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Travel Arrangements

Arrival in the Ore Mountains

The Ore Mountains are easily accessible by car. However, places like Annaberg-Buchholz, Seiffen, and Oberwiesenthal can also be reached by train and bus. Especially during Advent, it's worth checking connections in advance, as Christmas markets and events attract additional visitors.

Accommodation in the Ore Mountains

If you want to combine regional cuisine, Christmas markets and a few quiet days, accommodation directly in the Ore Mountains is worthwhile.
Book accommodation in the Ore Mountains*

If you purchase via a link marked *, we receive a commission, which we use to run this blog.

 

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More things to know

• Erzgebirge Christmas Markets: Tips for Connoisseurs
• Erzgebirgische Volkskunst
• Saxony travel destinations
• Culinary tours in Germany
• Culinary travel destinations
• Potato pancake recipe
• Recipes from all over the world

 

Source: own research on site. We would definitely like to thank you Tourist Association Erzgebirge eV for inviting me to this press trip. However, our opinions remain our own.

Text: Copyright Monika Fuchs and TravelWorldOnline
Photos: Copyright Monika Fuchs and TravelWorldOnline
Videos: Copyright Petar Fuchs and TravelWorldOnline