Commonly used flavor aids – such as mustard, ketchup, vinegar, horseradish, sauces or dressings – may all look the same, no matter where they have been produced. But they certainly do not taste the same. Across Europe, you’ll find a great variety of taste preferences for condiments and flavorings.
Here were introduce you to most of the flavor aids from German-speaking countries imported to North America.
Alba — Complete pickling assortment and other spices and herbs, made by Gehring & Neiweiser GmbH Alba pickling-spices are the number 1 in Germany. (North-Rhine Westphalia)
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Burkhardt — A Bavarian producer of mustards, curry ketchup and mayonnaise, in business since 1889. (Bavaria)
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Develey — Develey is the leading Bavarian sweet mustard brand and the mustard category leader in Germany. Also owns the Lowensenf, Bautzener and Mautner brands. (Bavaria)
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Edora — Based close to Aschaffenburg. Very unique seasoning spices, especially those used for making Christmas cookies, gingerbreads, stollen and spekulatius. Other blends are perfect for goulash, gyros, meatloaf, sauerbraten; and more. Made by Eduard Dornberg GmbH (Bavaria)
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Hela — The classic among all curry ketchup brands in Germany. Called curry sauce in the US for legal reasons, its delicate, sweet-spicy curry note lends many dishes a special flavor. Also available are mustard in squeeze bottle, Schaschlik (Kebob) Sauces and Fritten Sauce (french fries mayo dressing). Made by Hermann Laue GmbH (Schleswig Holstein)
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Hengstenberg — No company is more synonymous with sauerkraut, red cabbage, gherkins, mustard and vinegar than Hengstenberg, located in Esslingen near Stuttgart. The company was founded in 1867 by Richard Alfried Hengstenberg who was a co-author of the ‘vinegar purity law’ which is still part of today’s official food standards law. (Baden-Wuerttemberg)
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Hoerrlein — Franconian delikatessen producer, including creamed horseradish, mayonnaise and other products. (Bavaria)
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Homann — A maker of delikatessen sauces and ready to eat refrigerated meals. Makes a great Fritten Sauce (mayo for french fries). Located close to Osnabrueck. (Lower Saxony)
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Händlmaier’s — Famous sweet mustard producer based in Regensburg. (Bavaria)
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Knorr — A truly global brand, founded in the 1860s in Heiilbronn and now owned by Unilever (headquarterd in Hamburg). Famous for their all-purpose seasoning Aromat. Also famous for sauces, seasoning mixes, dressings, bouillion cubes and other meal makers. Products sold in USA are made in Canada and US. (Hamburg)
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Koch’s — Franconian horseradish from a family owned company with a 100 year tradition of horseradish production. Also available under the Landsberg brand. (Bavaria)
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Kuehne — Founded in 1722 as a vinegar distillery in Berlin and now based in Hamburg, Kuehne has developed into an international company with a large assortment of pickled vegetables, vinegar, dressings and mustards. In the US, their hot mustard is also sold under Alstertor label. (Hamburg)
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Loewensenf — The famous hot Duesseldorf hot mustard is Germany's best known mustard brand. Owned by the Develey Group. Sweet mustards in tubes, tubs, and glasses are also available. (North-Rhine Westphalia)
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Maggi — A truly global brand owned by Nestle, headquartered in Frankfurt. The range includes sauces, seasonings, bouillions, and dressings. The big rival of Knorr. German Maggi Fix is an authenticly German flavor aid used to add extra umami flavor to dishes. (Hesse)
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Mautner — An Austrian leading condiment brand based in Vienna. Among their large assortmen is the original Tyrolian Kren (Austrian for mustard). (Austria)
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Mondamin — Originated in Berlin in 1896 as the first commercial food starch and gravy thickener, now part of the Unilever Group. (Hamburg)
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Oro d’Parma — A brand of pure, natural tomato paste, made by Hengstenberg. (Baden-Wuerttemberg)
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Rapunzel — One of Germany's first and largest organic food companies with a large assortment of products. Makes a Vegan vegetable broth with seas salt, herbs etc. (Bavaria)
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Schamel — The first horseradish factory in Bavaria, established in 1846. Still in business, this company produces arguably the best tasting horseradish - they focus on nothing else. (Bavaria)
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Seitenbacher — A leader and pioneer of organic, natural, gluten-free, vegan and vegetarian products in Germany. Widely known for their best-selling muesli cereals, they also make great oils and vinegar, sea salt, a vegetarian broth, and other condiments. (Baden-Wuerttemberg)
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Stockmeyer — Stockmeyer is a brand of canned soups made by Buss GmbH, a subsidiary of Heristo AG. Excellent quailty, those with no meat content are exported to the US. (Lower Saxony)
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Surig — A true German kitchen classic, this vinegar essence is very acidic which gives many dishes a tart, sour note. Home cooks also use the pure natural vinegar essence to clean calcified dishwashers and bathroom. Made by Speyer & Grund GmbH in Mainz. (Rhineland - Palatine)
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Szeged — The leading Hungarian Paprika brand. Paprika is used in many German dishes. (Hungary)
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Thomy — Traditional Swiss brand of mayonnaise and mustard, still produced in Basel. Owned by Nestle. Available in glass jars and tubes. (Hesse)
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Trokost — A leading producer of organic dried herbs, mushrooms and vegetables for the food industry and catering companies. (Baden-Wuerttemberg)
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Univer — One of Hungary's original makers of hot paprika and paprika cream in glass jars. (Hungary)
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Wurstkuchl — Oldest sausage restaurant in world, and a well known tourist destination, established in the 1500s in Regensburg. Produces great sweet mustard. (Bavaria)
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Zamek — A traditional brand of sauces and seasoning mixes based in Düsseldorf. (North-Rhine Westphalia)
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Zeisner — A high quality maker of curry ketchup made in North-Rhine Westphalia. A family business for more than 100 years. (North-Rhine Westphalia)
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