Food & Tradition

Hearty food is the norm in Hohenlohe, and much of it comes from the land itself. Schwäbisch-Hällisches Landschwein, an old breed from around Schwäbisch Hall, ends up as roast on the table, served with Spätzle, Maultaschen, or potato salad. A pear brandy to finish is simply custom here, not a special occasion. The pear and apple trees around the farms are as much a part of the Hohenlohe landscape as the church steeple in the village.

Cheese pairs especially well. At the 2015 food summit in Schwäbisch Hall, pear brandies from the region weren't served alongside local cheese by accident, the brandy's tartness holds its own against the richness of aged cheese. A slice of pear alongside brings it full circle.

This refers to the digestif, the brandy enjoyed after a meal. The idea that it speeds up digestion is a stubborn myth. Studies have actually shown that alcohol tends to slow gastric emptying rather than speed it up. The feeling of relief comes from relaxation instead. That's why people who linger at the table after a meal usually pour themselves only the tiniest glass, as a closing note rather than a dessert.

A festival that fits the region's fruit-growing tradition is the Bake Oven Festival at the Hohenlohe Open-Air Museum in Wackershofen, near Schwäbisch Hall. The museum showcases rural life in the region, and during the festival, locals bake bread in wood-fired ovens. Anyone enjoying bread and cheese has the perfect setting for a pear brandy.

The same holds true in the Tauber Valley around Weikersheim and Creglingen. Fruit trees cover the hillsides, and some farms operate as Abfindung distilleries, helping keep the orchard meadows alive. There, a small glass belongs at the end of the meal, not the beginning.