Black Forest–Culinary Capital of Germany

The Romans, and pretty much everyone else who came to the black forest before the 16th century, saw the dense wood as a frightening wilderness and did not venture far therein. It was not until monasteries, faithful that God would not let harm befall his servants, were erected within the forest that the wood began to give up its secrets. Is it from the elves of the forest, or the trees themselves, that seemingly magical recipes have sprung?

Much has changed since the wood began to fall. The area is no longer as wild, the boar not as plentiful, but game meat still dominates much of the traditional cookery. The area is still pastoral and largely traditional, holding fast to its craft, but being famous for its cuisine has meant that the chefs of the black forest have had to constantly one-up one another. This competition has seen perhaps the most culinary innovation in modern Germany with nouveau cuisine dishes importing and mixing flavors from all over Europe.

It may seem ironic that the cuckoo clock came to being in such a timeless place, but I like to think it is exactly the timeless nature of the region that spawned the need for clocks. I also like to think it was the recoiling of the natives at such a cognitive intrusion as a clock that caused some inventive tinkerer to add chimes and birds as an apology for reminding the people of the serene region that time does, indeed, keep passing.