German All-in-One For Dummies
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In most German hotels, das Frühstück (dâs frue-shtuek) (breakfast) is generally included in the room price of the hotel accommodation. In smaller towns, if you’re staying at a Pension (pên-see-ohn) (pension) or Frühstückspension (frue-shtueks-pên-see-ohn) (bed-and-breakfast) or at a smaller hotel, you can expect a traditional German breakfast, consisting of the following:

  • Kaffee (kâf-ey) (coffee)

  • Tee (tey) (tea)

  • Fresh Brötchen, Brot, Butter and Marmelade (brert-Hen, broht, boot-er, [and] mâr-me-lah-de) (fresh rolls, bread, butter, and jam)

  • weich gekochtes Ei (vayH ge-koH-tes ay) (soft-boiled egg) served in an egg cup

  • Choice of Aufschnitt and Käse (ouf-shnit [and] kai-ze) (cold cuts and cheese)

The larger hotels in cities generally offer a breakfast buffet that includes the preceding items, as well as the following:

  • Cornflakes (cornflakes [as in English]) (cornflakes)

  • Müsli (mues-lee) (muesli)

  • frisches Obst (frish-es ohpst) (fresh fruit)

  • Variety of Brot and Säfte (broht [and] zêf-te) (bread and juices)

Note: If you can’t do without scrambled eggs or fried eggs, you may need to put in a special order.

If you choose to have a traditional weich gekochtes Ei (vayH ge-koH-tes ay) (soft-boiled egg), here’s a short primer on how the Germans eat a soft-boiled egg for breakfast:

  1. Gather the proper tools — namely, an egg cup and a knife (one with a serrated edge is a good choice).

    For the very sophisticated soft-boiled egg eaters, there are sometimes cute, little quilted egg cup warmers to keep the egg warm while it’s resting in its egg cup before you eat it. Some people also eat their soft-boiled eggs with a special egg spoon made of nonreactive material such as ceramic or mother-of-pearl material.

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  2. Crack open the egg, using one of two methods:

    1. Carefully aim the knife horizontally approximately an inch from the top of the egg and then decapitate the top.

      This step actually involves a sawing motion to get through the shell.

      If you’re a beginner, you may want to make sure that no one’s sitting too close to you, just in case the top of the egg flies off.

    2. First, crack the eggshell gently in several places around the top, using the back of the spoon; then peel away enough shell to be able to get a spoon into the egg.

      This method is safer than the first one.

  3. Sprinkle a little salt in the egg, spoon it out, and enjoy.

If you like to eat soft-boiled eggs the German way, you may want to purchase some egg cups and egg warmers while you’re traveling through German-speaking Europe. Even if you don’t use them often, these unique items make for interesting conversation about your trip.

About This Article

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About the book authors:

Wendy Foster teaches Business English, German, French, and intercultural communication skills. She also does editing for online German education programs. Wendy received her degree in German studies at the Sprachen-und-Dolmetscher-Institut in Munich and later her MA in French at Middlebury College in Paris.

Paulina Christensen has been working as a writer, editor, and translator for more than 10 years. She has developed, written, and edited numerous German-language textbooks and teachers' handbooks for Berlitz International. Dr. Christensen recieved her MA and PhD from Dusseldorf University, Germany.

Anne Fox has been working as a translator, editor, and writer for more than 12 years. She studied at Interpreter's School, Zurich, Switzerland, and holds a degree in translation. Most recently she has been developing, writing, and editing student textbooks and teacher handbooks for Berlitz.

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