food
German bread, again
The Germans are extremely proud of their bread culture – and pretty scathing about bread from most other countries (don’t get them started on Toastbrot.) Since moving to Germany, Rachel has discovered the delights of fresh German bread from the local bakery.
But there’s still one thing getting between her and a bag of crusty bread rolls. Rachel moved from the UK to Germany in 2016. Back then, as a relative newcomer she casts a fresh eye over German clichés and shares her experiences of settling into German life. Every two weeks she explores a new topic – from unusual bans to meaty cuisine or haunted castles. This week: bread.
German bread
What do most Germans miss when they are abroad? Their bread! Hannah Hummel at Deutsche Welle explains why people in Germany are so crazy about it, how Germany developed such a huge bread diversity and why so many bakeries are under threat nowadays.
Her German father baked bread for the family in Scotland. It is very common for Germans living outside of Germany to bake their own bread.
selbständig – independent
“The team at Minderleinsmühle opened up their hearts to me. From the first minute onward I felt very comfortable. In my area I work independently. My colleagues, however, are always there for me should I need help. Every day I learn something new.” Anna, Intern in Quality Control, 2019
Minderleinsmühle near Nuremberg, Germany. From their website:
“Our mueslis & cereals, pastries, sweets, chocolates and snacks stand for high-end quality, sustainability and best taste. Under leading of the Hubmann Family, the Minderleinsmühle was arisen from a craft mill with connected agriculture to an established manufacturer in the sector of organic food. As a grown enterprise with a vision, we unify craftsmanship and experience with technology and innovation.”
Adapt the Oreo?
Durable. Able to exist for a long time without significant deterioration. From Latin durare to last. Adapt: To make fit (as for a new use) often by modification. From Latin adaptare, to fit.
In the American marketplace, innovation is a constant force driving products towards ever greater efficiency and functionality. American products are constantly modified to meet the changing needs of American consumers.
One way to achieve this goal is to simply improve features that already exist. An example is redesigning the display of an alarm clock to make it more readable. Other products will be redesigned and features will be added to them. One example are the new features of each iteration of smatphones and tablets. Battery life is lengthened, screen quality is improved, and features will be adapted based on user feedback.
Americans rarely want to own a product for an extended period of time. There are many products which are constantly updated, changed, modified. These include: computers, electronics, gadgets, automobiles, and clothing styles. Even houses are torn down so that new ones can be built in their place. To the extent that a person is a „product,“ consumers also alter their own physical appearance via cosmetic surgery.
Companies leverage this sentiment by offering incentives for consumers to upgrade their current product. They may offer generous trade-in offers for cell phones or outdated electronics or special leasing deals for expensive items like cars or houses.
They even adapted the Oreo cookie.
Food portions
It is well known that the United States is the land of plenty. According to the American Journal of Public Health, food portions have increased significantly since the 1970s. Additionally, research conducted by New York University shows that American food portions are much larger than those in Europe.
The more food consumed the larger the energy supply created. This larger energy supply can lead to obesity, a serious problem facing many Americans. However, since many studies analyze their data as correlations it is hard to make any judgments about the causation of the relationship of food portion size and obesity.
