Nine things and Saxon specialties from the Ore Mountains

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

What is a nine-line and what Saxon specialties from the Erzgebirge are there? We asked this question between Seiffen, Annaberg-Buchholz and Oberwiesenthal (Map) to the bottom. That's why we spent three days on a culinary tour Discovery tour through the Ore Mountains. The region in Saxony The pre-Christmas period is a good time for this.

 

 

Advent is the time when visitors flock to the Ore Mountains. It's not just the traditions and local dishes that attract them, but also the delicacies from Grandma's kitchen that contribute to the region's appeal.

 

 

 

Miners have to eat well

The food in the Ore Mountains is remarkably simple. No wonder, given its mining heritage, life in the mining towns was harsh. Silver, copper, tin, bismuth, cobalt, and even uranium were mined here. Working underground demanded a great deal from the inhabitants.

The mine operators were well aware of this. Their workforce could only perform their work with good nutrition. Therefore, it was only natural that they grew some of their own food. However, the high altitude of the region limited the selection of vegetables. Potatoes thrive at these altitudes. They therefore still play a major role in the cuisine of the Ore Mountains today.

 

 

Potato dishes often meet us on our journey. There's meat and game. But also cakes and pastries. We discovered that on the way.

 

 

The nine things or "noerlaa"

One of the specialties typical of the Christmas season is the "Neunerlei," a dish served on Christmas Eve. It consists of a meat, poultry, or vegetarian centerpiece with nine accompanying 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 nine different ingredients around it.

 

 

Each of them means something. A “green dumpling” made from raw and boiled potatoes promises prosperity for the coming year. A bratwurst with mustard guarantees strength. Peas or lentils ensure that there is always enough change in your wallet. Mushrooms and beetroot promise joy. Baked apples ensure the sweetness of life. You even think of beauty. Bread milk with almonds makes the skin beautiful.

We enjoyed a ninefold pork roast and nine ingredients right next to the Advent market in Annaberg-Buchholz

Ratskeller »Zum Neinerlaa«
Markt 1
09456 Annaberg-Buchholz

 

 

 

 

In addition to nine things, potato dishes play a 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 a few 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 even when eating soup, nothing drips.

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

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've probably made at home before.

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

For us, they were a delicious midday snack at the Christmas market in Annaberg-Buchholz. The market's theme is "Grandma's Kitchen Specialties," so you'll find other dishes there that were typical of what miners' families ate.

 

 

 

As a dessert to the Neunerlei, there's cake like grandma made

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. You rarely find cakes like this in restaurants. They were perfect here.

 

 

The cakes - and also a very good lunch - you get in the restaurant

Colorful house
Hauptstraße 94
09548 resort Seiffen

 

 

The perfect dessert for the Neunerlei – the Fichtelberg cake

But 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 coffee menu at the Hotel Fichtelberghaus. This cake is an invention of the Enderlein confectionery in Oberwiesenthal.

However, since it was closed on the day of our visit, we took the opportunity to drive up the Fichtelberg mountain. This detour not only rewarded us with a fantastic view of the wintry Ore Mountains, but also a delicious 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. In cake form, it is covered with a layer of sweet meringue made from light sponge cake. The filling consists of fresh cheesecake with raspberries and blueberries.

The connection to the region is thus evident not only in the shape and name, but also in the wild berries that grow in the forests of the Ore Mountains. This cake is truly worth a detour! And the magnificent view from the Fichtelberg mountain is, of course, just as worthwhile!

Incidentally, the Hotel Fichtelberghaus doesn't just house the hotel restaurant and café where we enjoyed the cake. One floor up is also the gourmet restaurant "Das Guck" by Dirk Meinel, whose stylish ambiance makes it perfect for romantic candlelight dinners.

Fichtelberghaus
Fichtelbergstrasse 8
09484 health resort Oberwiesenthal

 

 

 

Last but not least: the gourmet kitchen in the Landhotel Rittersgrün

We finally discovered that the Ore Mountains offer more than just simple miners' cuisine at the Landhotel Rittersgrün. We had dinner in the hotel's restaurant. Even on the way there, it was clear that this hotel placed great importance on good food. Photos of Alfons Schuhbeck during a visit to the Landhotel Rittersgrün hung in the hotel corridors.

We were also aware that this hotel is popular with celebrities. Among others, the Saxon Minister-President Tillich has stayed here. This made us all the more curious about what awaited us at dinner.

 

 

We weren't 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. And for dessert, there was vanilla ice cream in an almond coating on top of eggnog cream. The food was every bit as good as it sounds.

The caramelized onions were absolutely divine. They had an apple flavor that harmonized wonderfully with the calf's liver. The same goes for the salmon appetizer with its exceptional salad combination of fennel and oranges.

For dessert, I wondered how they managed to form vanilla ice cream into a compact sphere firmly coated in almonds. It complemented the eggnog cream perfectly. All in all, a truly successful end to our culinary journey through the Ore Mountains!

Landhotel Rittersgrün
Karlsbader Str. 23
08359 Breitenbrunn

 

 

The Erzgebirge is a place for connoisseurs, and not just because of the nine things

If you want to experience regional cuisine, the Ore Mountains are definitely the place to be. Here, the culinary traditions tell stories of the miners' hard lives. They also reflect the ingenuity of the Ore Mountain people, which isn't limited to their cuisine. We'll tell you more about that elsewhere.

Last but not least, our selection of culinary experiences will show you how enjoyable dining can be in unexpected places. When traveling through the Ore Mountains, you shouldn't overlook the regional specialties. They offer delightful surprises and are the perfect refreshment after a day of sightseeing. Hike.

 

 

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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