Printen, Bend and old town flair
Enjoy Aachen. Stroll through the medieval alleyways around the town hall, sip a cappuccino with a view of the cathedral, relax in the Elisengarten, go shopping or dream away the time in the hammocks on the Lousberg - Aacheners are good at enjoying themselves. Especially when it comes to food. And especially when it comes to the quality of local specialties.
Which butcher has the best Aachen Christmas liver sausage on offer? Every customer has their own decided and irrefutable opinion on this. In case of doubt, it is their own butcher. But definitely one from the Aachen city area. This is because the Aachen Christmas liver sausage bears the EU seal of approval for a geographically protected product, just like the Aachen Printen and the Aachen Puttes, which people from outside the city are allowed to call blood sausage.
When it comes to sauerbraten, only the Aachen version comes into consideration, of course. Between you and me: Öcher Suurbrödem is definitely the best, if only because of the use of Printen, which give the sauce an oriental aroma.
Printen in general: More than 4,500 tons of Printen are produced every year in Aachen businesses and bakeries. Just as popular as the original, plain herb Printen are the Printen topped with nuts or almonds and covered in chocolate or icing. Have you ever tried Printen ice cream? Mmmh!
As I said. The people of Aachen are connoisseurs, all year round. At carnival they eat Mutzenmandeln, at Easter time Poschweck, a sweet white bread with raisins and a long tradition. In summer they taste wine at the Katschhof, in fall they feast on gourmet snacks under the Ferris wheel, and at the highlight of the year they drink mulled wine at the atmospheric Christmas market.
And if you like a bit more excitement and have a strong stomach, you can eat your fries at Aachen's big funfair, the Öcher Bend, and try the Crazy Mouse for dessert. Bon appétit!
Printen, Bend and atmosphere
Aachen knows how to have a good time. Cruising the medieval alleyways around the Town Hall, sipping a cappuccino in the shadow of the Cathedral, leaning back and relaxing in the Elisengarten, going shopping, or simply dreaming the day away in one of the hammocks on the Lousberg - Aacheners are experts at enjoying themselves. Especially when it comes to food. And especially regarding the quality of Öcher specialities.
Which butcher sells the best Aachen Christmas Liver Sausage? Every shopper will have their own firm and non-negotiable opinion on thjat subject! More likely than not it'll be their local butcher - but most certainly it will be a butcher from the Aachen city area. After all, "Aachener Weihnachtsleberwurst" has the EU quality seal of a protected geographical indication, as does the Aachen "Printen" biscuit and the Aachen "Öcher Puttes", which newcomers might recognize better as blood sausage.
When it comes to the German-style pot roast "Sauerbraten", only the Aachen variant will do, of course. But in all honesty, "Öcher Suurbrödem" really is the best version of this dish, if for no other reason than the use of Printen biscuits, which give the sauce a unique oriental fragrance.
And while we're on the subject of Printen - more than 4,500 tons of Printen dough are produced each year in Aachen factories and bakeries. In the meantime, the original plain Printen with their herbs and spices have been joined by equally popular new varieties with nuts or almonds, and coated with chocolate or frosting. And have you tried Printen ice cream yet? Yum!
As already mentioned, Aacheners are gourmets - all year round. During Carnival they eat little almond-shaped spiced shortcrust pastries called "Mutzenmandeln", at Easter they eat a sweet white bread with raisins and a long tradition. In summer they go wine tasting on the Katschhof, in autumn they feast on gourmet snacks beneath the big wheel, and to round off the year, they drink mulled wine at the atmospheric Christmas Market.
For those who want more excitement and have the stomach for it, too, there's Aachen's huge funfair - the Öcher Bend - where you can gorge yourself on french fries and then try out the Crazy Mouse for dessert. Bon appétit!
