Cooksister | Food, Travel, Photography

Food, photos & faraway places

  • HOME
  • ABOUT
    • About me
    • Contact me
    • Work with me
    • Legal
      • Copyright notice & Disclaimer
      • Disclosure
      • Cookies and Privacy Policy
    • Press and media
    • Cooksister FAQs
  • RECIPES
    • Recipe Index – by course
    • Baking (savoury)
    • Braai/Barbecue
    • Breakfast & brunch
    • Christmas
    • Dessert
    • Drinks
    • Eggs
    • Fish
    • Gluten-free
    • Leftovers
    • Pasta & rice
    • Poultry
    • Pulses
    • Salads
    • Soup
    • South African
    • Starters & light meals
    • Vegan
    • Vegetables
    • Vegetarian
  • RESTAURANTS
    • British Isles restaurants
    • Dubai restaurants
    • France restaurants
    • London restaurants
    • Montenegro restaurants
    • New York restaurants
    • Pop-ups and supperclubs
    • Serbia restaurants
    • Singapore restaurants
    • South Africa restaurants
    • Sweden restaurants
    • Switzerland restaurants
    • USA restaurants
  • TRAVEL
    • All my travel posts
      • Austria
      • Belgium
      • Canada
      • Dubai
      • Cruise ships
      • France
      • Germany
      • Greece
      • Grenada
      • Hong Kong
      • Hotel reviews
      • Italy
      • Israel
      • Jersey
      • Mexico
      • Netherlands
      • Norway
      • Portugal
      • Singapore
      • Ski & snow
      • South Africa
      • Spain
      • Sweden
      • Switzerland
      • UK
      • USA
      • Wales
  • PORTFOLIO
    • Freelance writing portfolio
    • Speaking and teaching
    • Photography portfolio
    • Buy my photos
You are here: Home / Travel / Germany / Munich Oktoberfest 2004 – Part I

Munich Oktoberfest 2004 – Part I

by Jeanne Horak on November 16, 2004 No Comments in Germany

Hofbrau beer tent at Munich Oktoberfest

As promised, I am digging into the vaults and finding posts that should have been made weeks (if not months!) ago – and one of them is an account of our trip to the Munich Oktoberfest at the end of September.  This was our second trip – last year we were persuaded to go by a group of our Australian friends and I was very, very dubious about the whole affair.  Firstly, I don’t usually drink beer. Secondly, I am no longer 18 years old (!!) and lastly, I hate being in a crowd of seriously drunk people.  It looked like a match made in hell.  But I decided to keep an open mind and go, and despite living four to a room in a pension with only two showers per floor of about 20 people, I absolutely, unreservedly adored it!  I loved Munich, I loved the people and mostly I loved the fest itself.

After getting used to England where binge drinking is a major problem and drunken violence occurs almost nightly whenever large groups of drunk people get together, the Oktoberfest was a revelation.  I somehow wonder whether it could actually exist in anywhere else in the Western world.  I mean, it’s fantastically un-politically correct.  A festival devoted to the drinking of alcohol??  In this day and age??  Only in Europe!  And as I said, if you put a hundred thousand people together in one area and ply them with beer for 12 hours per day in England, it would be total chaos.  But somehow in Germany, although there is all this chaos and debauched drinking going on, it goes on with German formality and a curious order is somehow maintained.  Yes, you will be served beer all day (no queueing at the bar!!) – but you must first find a seat in the beer tent – no seat, no service.  Yes, we will give you these fantastic one litre steins to drink out of (not injury-proof plastic cups) – but if you try to steal one, which everybody wants to do, you can get arrested. Yes, you can drink till you pass out, but you may not stand in the aisles and block people’s way. Yes, you can dance on the chairs, but put one foot on the table and you are reprimanded by security. It could only ever work in Germany!! It’s a fascinating mix of debauchery and order…  And for all the drinking and all the drunk people I saw wandering around, I didn’t personally see any violence in the four days I visited the fest grounds (although I know there were some incidents – but far fewer than one would expect, given the magnitude of the event).  The other surprising thing was the number of Germans attending the fest.  You somehow think that the fest is going to be a bit like Hogmanay is to the Scots – a tradition hijacked by foreigners.  But the Germans attend the fest in droves – and mostly in traditional lederhosen and dirndls!  – which I thought was really great.

But enough background.  This year we once again packed our bags and headed for Munich – but we have got wise since last year and this time round we had arranged our own accommodation – no more four to a room bunk beds!  The closest station to our hotel was… Theriesenwiese – the stop for the fest – so we had an idea we’d be pretty close, but I don’t think we realised we would be less than a minute’s walk from the main gates – woo hoo!  The Hotel Bavaria was really great – a big room and en-suite bathroom in a quiet street and all the facilities you could want. After we’d dumped our stuff we took a little walk around the Wiesn (aka the Theriesenwiese) – everything was just as we remembered:  the massive beer tents, each seating thousands of people, the funfair, the concession stands packed with silly hats and gingerbread hearts… just bliss to be back!! Didn’t go into any of the tents as some of them were closed due to over-filling and others were open but you could guarantee that by mid-afternoon there would be no seats left (and remember, no seat = no service!). Instead we decided to spend the afternoon in the old town, so we took the train to Marienplatz. Got out and sort of wandered towards the Viktualienmarkt – the open-air food market in the middle of the old town and one of my favourite places in Munich. immediately got a leberkässemmel (a roll containing a slice of very fine meatloaf containing corned beef, bacon and onion, baked in a loaf tin until it has a crispy crust) with lots of sweet mustard and was a happy pup within minutes.

Leberkase bun

 

Eating streetfood in Munich

 

I had a käsebeisser (smoked pork sausage with chunks of cheese in it – yummy!! – in a roll with sweet mustard) and we strolled around happily munching for a while.  You can say what you like about German food – it is deeply satisfying in a “back-to-childhood” sort of way… Strolled around & took photos of all the fantastic fresh produce, including a really interesting fruit seller where I saw my first durian in the flesh (so to speak!).  They also had two things I’d never heard of – drachenfrucht (“dragon fruit”) which appears to be related to the prickly pear, and schlangenfrucht (“snake fruit” or salak), so called because of its brown scaly-looking skin.   The dragon fruit was really beautiful with white or pink flesh – move over the kiwi fruit as decorative fruit of choice!! We also checked out the wonderful cheese and meat counters – temptation around every corner!  See what I mean??

 

Vegetable market stall in Munich

 

Emmentaler cheese

 

Then Nick decided we had been in town far too long without a beer, so we headed for the Hofbräuhaus for a beer – we never got in there last year as it was way too full when we arrived at 11pm. This time we could walk in without problems, but the place was PACKED and rowdy with not a table in sight. This did not sound like how we wanted to spend the afternoon – not for nothing is the place described as something of a tourist trap… So we walked around to get the feel of the place and then headed out again. Ended up across the square in the Ayinger Keller – a beautiful wood-paneled pub/beer hall with seats available and a nice atmosphere. Nick was thrilled because we could watch a fresh beer barrel being tapped – they use a big wooden mallet to hammer something into the top of the barrel to let air in so that the beer will run freely out of the tap at the bottom – very impressive! Nick had an Oktober Fest-Marzen beer, brewed specially for Oktoberfest (which he pronounced to be excellent and hopsy – he remembers this as the best beer of the visit) and I started with my first Radler (half beer and half lemonade – yes, I know, I’m a girl!!) & we spent some time people-watching.

Ayinger beer

 

After that we headed back to the hotel for a little nap (we had been awake since 4 a.m.!!) before dinner at Lamm’s (the third restaurant in this link) at Sendlingertor. Lamm’s is open 24 hours per day and in any other country a 24-hour restaurant would be a McDonalds Drive-Thru or similar.  But Lamm’s is nothing like that – it’s a proper Bavarian restaurant that just happens to serve food all day and all night!  Last year we sat outside for dinner, under the chestnut trees among the fairy lights, but this year the weather as considerably colder, so we headed into the inconspicuous entrance and down into the labyrinthine basement dining room to find a table for two.  The place is decorated in true Bavarian style with lots of beer memorabilia and blue & white (the Bavarian colours) bunting – lots of dark wood and low lighting which makes it quite cosy.  The menu isn’t huge and definitely leans towards traditional southern German cuisine – loads of sausages of various descriptions and numerous other incarnations of pork.  It is not a particularly vegetarian menu!! I settled for goulash which had a lovely rich, spice gravy and came with a huge semmelknodel (bread dumpling) – the ultimate comfort food and Nick had kassler chops with sauerkraut, which he enjoyed.  Finished off our food and drinks at a lovely leisurely pace before heading back to the hotel for a well-deserved rest, which we would need for the following day’s more strenuous party activities!

More deliciousness for you!

  • Tomato, olive & basil bruschettaTomato, olive & basil bruschetta
  • The big reveal – my famous cupcakes!The big reveal – my famous cupcakes!
  • Sun-dried tomato, basil and mozzarella chickenSun-dried tomato, basil and mozzarella chicken
  • Salmon tagliatelle and a Cirio product reviewSalmon tagliatelle and a Cirio product review

Never miss a Cooksister post

If you enjoyed this post, enter your e-mail address here to receive a FREE e-mail update when a new post appears on Cooksister

I love comments almost as much as I love cheese - so if you can't leave me any cheese, please leave me a comment instead!

« Bicerin – my new favourite hot chocolate
Salad Nicoise a la Cooksister »

Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Never miss a Cooksister post!

Get my latest recipes delivered by e-mail!

Search over 500 recipes

Recently on Cooksister

  • Masalchi by Atul Kochhar – Indian street food in Wembley
  • Barbecued salmon with blood oranges and capers
  • Roasted Brussels sprouts with feta, pomegranate and pine nuts [GF, V]
  • Love Yourself healthy meal delivery [Review]
  • Antillean
  • Festive roast lamb with pomegranate glaze
  • Rustic blood orange and pistachio galettes
  • Cauliflower steak Welsh rarebit

Archives by month

Archives by category

Popular posts

Oxtail and red wine potjie
Peppermint Crisp fridge tart - a South African treat
Nigella's Bakewell slices & the Big Bakewell Taste-off
Gem squash 101: how to find them, how to grow them, how to eat them!
Roosterkoek - a South African braai essential
My big, fat South African potato bake

Featured on

Also available on

🌷🌷🌷 It’s tulip season in London! Every 🌷🌷🌷 It’s tulip season in London!

Everywhere you look, these long-legged floral supermodels are adding a splash of colour to parks and gardens and I just can’t get enough of them! It’s easy to see how they inspired a collective buying frenzy in 17th Century Holland, called “tulip fever”, but today there are less dramatic ways to enjoy them. Here are a couple of suggestions of where to see them at their best:

🌷 The ultimate tulipalooza is the annual opening of Keukenhof gardens outside Amsterdam where 7 million (!) bulbs burst into life each Spring. This year the gardens are open 24 March-15 May (click on the link in my bio for FAQs and my top tips for visitors)

🌷In London, Kew Gardens always has spectacular displays of tulips; but you can also see excellent and free tulips in most of the Royal Parks such as Regents Park. 

🌷The Hampton Court Palace tulip festival is on until 2 May and the Hever  Castle’s Tulip Celebrations until 24 April - both within easy reach of London.

🌷The Morges Fete de la Tulipe in Switzerland takes place every year against the spectacular backdrop of Lake Geneva - it is on until 8 May this year.

I spotted these spectacular red frilly parrot tulips beside St Paul’s Cathedral yesterday 🌹 Where is the best display of tulips that you have ever seen?
MASALCHI BY ATUL KOCHHAR - pan-Indian street food MASALCHI BY ATUL KOCHHAR - pan-Indian street food restaurant in Wembley

Remember to save this post so you can find it later! 🔖

[Invited] If you thought Brick Lane and chicken tikka masala or madras were all there is to know about the food of the Indian subcontinent, think again! In the shadow of the Wembley arch,  @chefatulkochhar has opened his first casual dining restaurant,  showcasing the rustic, spicy, diverse street foods of India. 

Highlights when I visited included:
1. Carrot halwa
2. Papdi chaat
3. Chicken 65
4. Tandoori broccoli
5. Smoky aubergine chokha
6. A snap of all our mains - you can read all about these and more in the full review on my blog - click the link in my bio or go to:
 https://www.cooksister.com/2022/04/masalchi-atul-kochhar-indian-wembley.html

What is your favourite dish from the Indian subcontinent? Let me know in the comments 🌶🌶🌶
🍒🌸 It’s cherry blossom season! 🍒🌸 T 🍒🌸 It’s cherry blossom season! 🍒🌸

There is no season in London that I love more than cherry blossom season! From March through to April, trees in various parks and gardens in London put on an amazing display of delicate pink and white blossoms - and everything in the city seems a little more magical. This particular tree near St Pauls must be among London’s most photographed, and it’s not hard to see why 💕

Did you know that...

🌸cherry blossoms are Japan’s national flower and are known as Sakura 

🌸In 1910, Japan sent the USA some cherry trees as a goodwill gesture… and the Dept of Agriculture inspectors nearly caused an international incident by burning them as they were carrying insects and diseases! But in 1915 Japan sent more cherry trees that survived the inspectors, and these marked the start of cherry trees in the USA.

🌸 Peak blossom season is usually only two to three weeks in March/April but is hard to predict as the weather and the subspecies of tree influence the timing.

🌸The cherry blossom capital of the  world is Macon, Georgia with 300,000 - 350,000 Yoshino cherry blossom trees.

🌸 There are over 200 different varieties of cherry blossom and some are purely ornamental (meaning they produce no cherries)

Where is your favourite place to see cherry blossoms in London or around the world? Let me know in the comments and happy blossom hunting! 🌸🍒🌸

#pinkpinkpink
Dyed Gwyl Dewi Hapus - that's Happy St David's Day Dyed Gwyl Dewi Hapus - that's Happy St David's Day to those of you who don't speak Welsh! 

1 March is the Welsh national day  and what better way to celebrate than surrounded by daffodils -  the Welsh national flower!

Did you know that:
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 The English name "Wales" comes from the Anglo-Saxon word meaning "foreigner" - but the country's Welsh name "Cymru" means "friends" in Welsh.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 The  Welsh language Cymraeg is the oldest language in Britain, at about 4,000 years old!

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 There are more castles per square mile in Wales than any other European country.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Mount Everest is named after George Everest, the Welsh surveyor who first mapped the peak on western maps.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 The beautiful Menai bridge (spanning the Menai Strait between the Isle of Anglesey and mainland Wales) was the first suspension bridge in the world.

Have you ever visited Wales? What did you like most about it?
*NEW RECIPE* Barbecued salmon with blood oranges, *NEW RECIPE* Barbecued salmon with blood oranges, capers and dill. Pretty in pink 💕

[AD] Blood oranges are a small obsession of mine - from blood orange posset to blood orange and halloumi salad to blood orange & Cointreau upside down cake, I am always looking for new ways to make the most of their short season. Barbecuing them with salmon, capers and dill is a perfect match in terms of flavour as well as colour (or you can oven bake the salmon if it's not barbecue weather where you are!)

When @grahambeckuk asked me to suggest some recipes to match their wonderful Graham Beck Brut Rosé NV sparkling wine from South Africa, this was a pairing made in heaven, and wonderfully colour co-ordinated with their silver-pink bubbly. Get the full recipe and find out more about Graham Beck's sparkling wines, made using the same methods as Champagne, on my blog - link in my bio above. 

What do you like to do with blood oranges? I'd love to hear in the comments!
💘"Love yourself first and everything falls into 💘"Love yourself first and everything falls into line. You really have to love yourself to get anything done in this world." - Lucille Ball

Whether you are celebrating with a partner, with friends, or by yourself today, I hope most of all that you love yourself, love your body, love your strengths, love your weaknesses, and love who you are (or are becoming). Because... you're worth it!

Are you doing anything celebratory today? Let me know in the comments 💘💘💘

(The beautiful street art is London Hearts by @akajimmyc)
📸: @girl_travelsworld
Would you believe me if I told you this is NOT a p Would you believe me if I told you this is NOT a picture of a Moorish palace, a castle or a cathedral? And that you can get to it from central London in under an hour?

This is Crossness Pumping Station @crossnesset , a Grade I listed heritage site and one of London's last remaining magnificent Victorian sewage (!) pumping stations in Abbey Wood near Rainham. 

Did you know that...

💩 You can visit the building on monthly open days - the next one is Sun 20 Feb. Book at www.crossness.org.uk

💩  It was only in 1856, after 3 major cholera outbreaks in 30 years and the Big Stink when the stench of London's sewage finally reached Parliament, that construction of an intercepting sewer system for the city was approved.  The system (parts of which are still in use today) was designed by Sir Joseph Bazalgette, Chief Engineer of London's Board of Metropolitan Works at the time.

💩  At Crossness, all London's sewage from south of the river was was raised by 9-12 metres to large reservoirs so that gravity would cause it to flow further east and into the Thames estuary. (Yes, until the 1880s, raw sewage was simply pumped into the Thames!)

💩 The incoming liquid was raised by the four enormous steam driven pumps, built to Joseph Bazalgette's design. The pumps were named Victoria, Prince Consort, Albert Edward, and Alexandra. They are thought to be the largest remaining rotative beam engines in the world, with 52-ton flywheels and 47-ton beams. 

💩 The pumping station was decommissioned and abandoned in the 1950s but declared a listed building in 1970.  Although all 4 beam engines remain in place, they were so damaged that today (thanks to the efforts of the Crossness Engines Trust) only Prince Consort has been restored to working condition and can be seen in action on open days.

💩 The exuberant and colourful wrought ironwork inside is the amazing work of architect Charles Henry Driver. My favourite detail is the fact that the pillars in the central atrium are topped with stylised figs and senna pods... two of nature's greatest natural laxatives 🤣
*NEW RECIPE* Roasted Brussels sprouts with feta ch *NEW RECIPE* Roasted Brussels sprouts with feta cheese, pomegranate and pine nuts

Ever noticed how you are affected by colours? 🌈

Maybe some colours make you agitated and some make you relaxed. Or maybe you find yourself inexplicably attracted to a particular colour (oh, hi teal and aqua!💙). On the basis that all colours have a wavelength, and that those outside the visible spectrum can affect us, it makes sense that the colours we see can affect our mood or even our physiology. Did you know for instance that exposure to red light can increase your blood pressure and heart rate? Are there any colours that you find yourself particularly attracted to or affected by?

The pretty colours of these roasted Brussels sprouts with feta cheese, pomegranate and pine nuts will be the first things that attract you to this dish - but it is the delicious combination of flavours and textures that will keep you coming back for more!

The recipe (and more about how colour affects us mentally and physically) is now live on my blog - click the live link in my profile and remember to like and bookmark this post to see more Cooksister in your Instagram feed ❤️
Perspective: a particular attitude towards or way Perspective: a particular attitude towards or way of regarding something.

Perspective is the one thing that the Covid-19 pandemic has given us plenty of. It has certainly made us re-evaluate what is truly important, and also what we did and didn't enjoy about our lives  before the pandemic and its associated lockdowns. It made me appreciate how much happiness my house, my job, my friends, my own company and my running bring to my life (and how fortunate I am to have all these things). But it also brought home how much I enjoy and miss travel, the theatre, and the luxury of reataurant visits at the drop of a hat. I don't think words can describe my joy at sipping the first coffee purchased from a coffee shop in summer 2020 as lockdown eased. It's the little things...

One of the things I have enjoyed and will not miss as the world creeps back to normality is the absence of crowds in what is usually a crowded city. On the occasions that I have been in central London since the start of the pandemic, streets have been blissfully empty and it has felt as if I were discovering my city anew. This glorious perspective (hah!) of St Paul's Cathedral normally requires a long wait while a queue of tourists and "influencers" ahead of you pose for photos - but on this glorious day last Spring it was almost deserted. I will miss that...

Is there anything you will miss as Covid-19 restrictions start to be lifted?
Load More... Follow me on Instagram

Follow Jeanne Horak-Druiff's board Recipes by Cooksister on Pinterest.

Cooksister

The South African Food and Wine Blog Directory

The South African Food and Wine Blog Directory

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Jeanne Horak is a freelance food and travel writer; recipe developer and photographer. South African by birth and Londoner by choice, Jeanne has been writing about food and travel on Cooksister since 2004. She is a popular speaker on food photography and writing has also contributed articles, recipes and photos to a number of online and print publications. Jeanne has also worked with a number of destination marketers to promote their city or region. Please get in touch to work with her Read More…

Latest Recipes

Salmon with blood oranges dill and capers
Brussels sprouts with feta and pomegranate
Roast lamb with pomegranate glaze
Blood orange & pistachio galettes
Cauliflower topped steak with melted cheese
Plate of potted smoked salmon with slaw and a glass of champagne
bowls of pistachio pomegranate bircher muesli
Brussels sprouts with chorizo & hazelnuts

SITEMAP

Home

Contact

About me

Recipe Index

Restaurant Index

Copyright & Disclaimer

Cookies & privacy policy




blog counter

© 2004 - 2022 · Jeanne Horak unless otherwise stated - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. You may not reproduce any text, excerpts or images without my prior permission. Site by RTW Labs

Copyright © 2022 · Cooksister on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

Cooksister cookie consent
We use cookies to ensure you receive the best experience on our site. If you continue to use this site, you are agreeing to our terms and conditions. Accept
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT