4TH BAVARIAN FOOD FESTIVAL

In Germany, the most popular festival is the Oktoberfest in Munich, celebrated for 16 days in late September and early October. It commemorates the marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria to Therese (1810). Ground zero for this frenzy is the Munich’s great fairground, the Theresienwiese, a 42-hectare lot with 14 giant tents that can sit up to 9,000 people at one time. Up to six million people joined the Oktoberfest 2008 and you have to make reservations since the policy of the festival is “No seat, No service, No drink.”

At an average of one liter per visitor, six million liters of beer can be consumed during the festival and food like wursts (sausages) and roasted whole cattle, chicken and fish are available. In Germany, you can select from 1,500 varieties of sausages.

Cebu has joined the rest of the world in celebrating Oktoberfest and my beloved readers with a budget can join me at the Bavarian Food Festival, Marco Polo Plaza (phone 253-1111, www.marcopolo plazacebu.com) from October 1 to 15. For those with limited budgets, you can contact me and we can drink beer together…in your residence!

To cook authentic German food, you need somebody who has the expertise, like a professional chef. My good old friend, Austrian Chef Dietmar Dietrich who is a colleague at La Chaine des Rotisseurs is an example. My beloved readers know that Austria was annexed by Germany in 1938 until Austria became a sovereign state in 1955. These two countries share many traditions in their cuisine. Preferable German Chef unta but pwede na Austrian! I have met Chef Dietmar way back in 1991 and we are very passionate about food. Many Executive Chefs have come and gone but my dear friend would always rate, in my personal opinion, among the top three Chefs in Cebu.

Seven Food Stations were prepared during the Media Luncheon of Oktoberfest 2009: Soup, Appetizer, Salads, Carving stations Slow Cooking, Hot Dishes, Desserts and Bread. Your favorite food columnist has brought to the dinning table the usual constraints in his lifestyle: no alcoholic beverages before six PM, Philippine time. And this self imposed limitation can be difficult since there are definitely very nice drinks available in aid of legislation..., I mean digestion.

I went for the Appetizers like the Brat Herring with Onion Dressing, Black Forest ham with cantaloupe melon, Allgau cheese cake with ham and my choice for salad was only the sauerkraut, a very gentle reminder that winters do exist in Germany and that tradition dictates that food has to be preserved for nourishment.

For the main dishes, my beloved readers know that all the food has to be tasted, like the Pork Knuckle, Paprika and Farmers Meatloaf, Kassler with Apple-Marjoram Sauce, Beef Roulade and Pan-fried Fish Fillet in Egg Crust. Small portions lang before a second serving for the, ahem, serious business of dining pleasure. My bread selection was the Bretzels and the Poppy seed rolls while my drink was fresh orange juice na lang. Very poor substitute, excuse me, for a huge ice cold stein of foaming German beer.

I had the pleasant surprise. The Fish Fillet was simply terrific and my colleagues in media also went to taste this magnificent creation. Only problem was that the serving plate was wiped clean before photos could be taken…help from the PR Department was needed for the viewing pleasure of my beloved readers.

Finally the deserts: my choices were the Schwarzwalder Kirschtorte (Black Forest cherry cake) and the Apple Strudel with Vanilla Sauce. And my dear friends, you have barely two days to sample this gastronomic feast at the Café Marco.