February 27, 2005
Bormuth
Delicious Müslistange
If you are ever in Germany and spot a Bormuth Bäckerei, go in! Just looking is a treat ... that is, if you can resist the buttery aromas and the temptation to buy a lovely Zimtbrötchen or a handmade loaf from this wonderful bakery. They are famous for their fruit, cream, and seasonal kuchen and pastries, which you can enjoy with a cup of their freshly-brewed coffee while standing at the little "stehe cafe" tables (definitely a non-touristy thing to do!). Some Bormuths are also full-service restaurants and you'll find them packed with Germans on Sunday at the ritual "cake and coffee time". If you're looking for a lunch to take with you, they make a variety of sandwiches and paninis on their own bread.
I first tried Bormuth's Müslistange a few years ago when Chris stopped there to buy a piece of cake. While I love their cakes, I try to avoid high-calorie foods and looked for something a bit healthier. That's when I spied these chunky-looking squares that resembled granola bars. A woman was taking them off of a tray, warm, and placing them in a large glass jar. I quickly got Chris' attention and pointed at them -- "get me one of those!"
Barely able to wait until we walked out of the bakery, I pulled the bar out of its Bormuth-labeled wax paper to examine this new-found treat. I am happy to tell you that it smelled and tasted as delicious as it appeared, and I was hooked. The bars consist of "musli", which is the German equivalent of granola, but with much less fat. Oats, honey, raisins, sunflower seeds and lots of other healthy ingredients make up this sticky bar. If you're lucky, you'll get one when it just comes out of the oven! An excellent snack for 80 cents!
Another recently discovered wonder is the Wurzelbrot ("Root bread"). Bormuth's nourishing root bread is simply the tastiest bread I have ever eaten. It is packed with carrots and corn, as well as sunflower, flax, millet, sesame and pumpkin seeds. This may sound like an odd combination but makes for a very moist, delicious (not to mention healthy) loaf. All of Bormuth's breads are incredible -- but this one is a masterpiece. You can buy an entire loaf for 2 Euro.
Around here, Bormuth is a respected institution. Generations upon generations of the Bormuth family have been running the bakeries 1913. They also opened a restaurant/guesthouse called the Kuralpe in the hills of the Odenwald, a pretty area in south central Germany. Chris' family has frequented the restaurant for many years, and it was among the first I experienced on my initial visit to Germany. The surroundings are idyllic in the spring and summer. We often go with our laptops, setting up a minioffice in their garden, spending the whole day working, eating, and enjoying the sun. They keep their own livestock and acquire trout from a nearby river -- everything is home-made, fresh, and traditional.
