Waaaas? No kisses in Frankfurt. That or something similar must have been the musings of the makers of <link http: www.koehler-kuesse.de _blank>Köhler Küsse from near Hanau when they decided to end the lack of local kisses. And so, every Thursday, the Hessen department store on Berger Strasse now receives fresh kisses delivered to its door, where they await collection by customers with a sweet tooth. The demand for kisses is high, how could it be otherwise.
At all, in conversation with store owner Katja Meifort, I found out that Frankfurters have a right sweet tooth: "Bethmännchen sell all year round, not just at Christmas." Logical, too, right? After all, treats can always be devoured. Less logical was the origin of the Bethmännchen: for a long time people were puzzling over it until it finally turned out that they are closely connected to the family of the same name: they first appeared in the family chronicle of the Bethmanns in 1840, who apparently liked to treat themselves to afternoon tea and dessert. The clearest sign of the bond with the family: the almonds. Has anyone ever wondered why we find three half almonds on every Bethmann? The three halves of the almond stand for the three sons of Simon Moritz von Bethmann, the councillor of state. A fourth son died and so the Bethmännchen lost its fourth half. A bit sad, isn't it? But on a positive note, the family founded a delicacy made only from high-quality Brenten dough, not made from ready-made products, but from eggs, almonds, sugar, rose water with as little flour as possible. A delicacy, so to speak.
But the delicacies are not enough! The big seller with customers of the department store Hessen is and remains of course the sausage of Gref Völsing paired with a mustard from the herbs of the Grie Soß´. And no list of local treats would be complete without apple! All soft caramel lovers will now find "Hessen Fudge" at the quaint Berger Street shop. What's special about it? The caramel is blended with apple bits and cider. Last but not least, I have to come out of the closet: my personal favorite is the "Mispelchen". I like to surprise friends from far away who are completely unfamiliar with this Frankfurt speciality. You simply have to try it, I think. The delicious mixture of fruit with Calvados is now also available ready to drink in a glass; for those in a hurry even as a "shot".
· Köhler Küsse, always fresh on Thursdays
· Bethmännchen
· Hessen Fudge
· Gref Völsing with Frankfurter mustard with herbs
· Mispelchen in a glass
<link http: www.kaufhaushessen.de cms _blank>Kaufhaus Hessen, Berger Straße 288
What are your favorite specialty foods? What do you like to give as gifts and what do you like to serve to non-local visitors?