Saturday 14 January 2017

Baumkuchen - German spit cake on firewood



Well here's yet another " new " discovery which is not exactly new because this has been around for a long time already , just that it is new to me . If you have gone on a gourmet spree through Tokyo , you would have probably seen this in a glitzy Ginza mall , churned out in very pristine surrounds .

What I am about to show you next is closely related to kürtőskalács , the Hungarian chimney spit cake . Baumkuchen is also a spit cake , and while they do have modern ovens to do the job , I'm sure there is nothing more magical than watching it being molded into shape over firewood , at a German Christmas Market .





Requiring 15 to 20 layers of batter ....



....baumkuchen is basically a chimney cake made to resemble a tree .

Tried my best to take a picture of the chef from the front but he obviously managed to successfully evaded every effort of mine . Hope that explains all the backshots . 



That may look like kayu api , dahan and ranting buruk to you and me , however , the chef takes so much effort in selecting the correct twig , with the flair of an artist deciding which colour to put on the canvas next , just to keep the fire optimal . Probably there is a co relation between the aroma and fire intensity which ultimately contributes to the end product . 



 After coating in various couverture flavours , this is how the baumkuchen is sold .
Took the darkest brown and I walked no less than 200 meters before I suddenly felt drunk . Yes , really . Like I'd just downed a tequila or something .
Turns out , the darker one have liquor like rum and brandy in it . Don't say I didn't warn you .




Location : Dresden , Germany 

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