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Lesson Transcript

Hello, and welcome to the Culture File: Germany series at GermanPod101.com. In this series, we’re exploring essential information about Germany, German culture and German people. I’m Eric, and you're listening to Season 1, Lesson 12 - Eating Dead Grandma in Germany.
In this lesson we'll tell you about a dish that looks pretty unusual, and analyzing its ingredients won't make it any more appetizing. But despite its appearances and strange name, there are still many people in Germany that love it. We're talking about something called "Dead Grandma," or in German, Tote Oma.
The official name of the dish is actually Grützwurst, but once you hear what it’s made of, you'll certainly understand why people also call it "Dead Grandma." The food Grützwurst is a type of sausage that's made of blood and rind. This rind is called Schwarte in German. Both are mostly from pigs. Depending on the region, bacon, raisins, pearl barley or Graupen, onions, or entrails may also be included.
In the area around Cologne, "Dead Grandma" or Tote Oma is served along with mashed potatoes and applesauce. This dish is called "Heaven and Hell" or Himmel und Hölle. Besides that, you can also eat "Dead Grandma" with sour cabbage or Sauerkraut and boiled potatoes.
For people who don't like the label "Dead Grandma," another name for it is "Traffic Accident," or in German, Verkehrsunfall. The terms "Traffic Accident" and "Dead Grandma" probably come from the fact that this sausage is usually eaten warm. This means it loses its solid form and turns into a sort of mush, which makes the sight of it rather unappetizing, but at least explains the strange name.
So listeners, how did you like this lesson? Did you learn anything interesting?
Do you have any food that has a special name like the German "Dead Grandma"?
Leave a comment telling us at GermanPod101.com, and we’ll see you in the next lesson!

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