Hello Europe Part1

Did you know where our Becks cocoa™ cocoas are drunk?
You’ll be surprised at the varieties! And what we do with them …

Tastes differ, as the saying goes. We say: True. – And also not true! How so?

FIRST: Yes! As different as the landscapes of Europe are, as different are the character attributions to their compatriots, the traditions, the crops that grow there and the food that is eaten in each case. European cuisine shows this clearly. We associate crepes, baguettes, bouillabaisse and snails with France, tapas and paella with Spain, antipasti, pasta and pizza with Italy, lamb, gyros, feta and tsatziki with Greece, when we think of England we think fish’n’chips, macaroni and cheese, roast beef, Chester cheese and Yorkshire pudding. Many foreigners associate potatoes, sausages and sauerkraut with Germany. Do we really see ourselves there? Well, when you think of other countries, you always think of the cuisine. And there, too, we are not immune to clichés.

But – and here comes the SECOND at last – would you have thought that connoisseurs and cocoa drinkers in Germany as well as in Poland, Hungary, Sweden, Denmark, Great Britain and the Baltic countries Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia appreciate the same four classic Becks cocoa™?

These 4 cocoas are loved and drunk all over Europe

The four classics that are most bought here in Germany are also the favourite cocoas in the countries listed above:

CRIOLLO
Simply 100 percent best cocoa, tart, refined without sugar and without additives: a piece of Central America to enjoy!
THE FUDGE
Fine cocoa with cream caramel. Lovely in taste; with a softness that taste enthusiasts call “mouthfeel”. It elicits a “umpff” from children!
CHOC WORK ORANGE
Fine cocoa, subtly composed with the taste of sun-ripened oranges and a hint of ginger. A very early variety and as popular as ever!
NUDE
Strong chocolate flavour meets sweet vanilla from Madagascar. A wonderful combination!
Only drunk? Or also cooked and baked! – A culinary journey

We love cocoa! – And always: at all times of the day, in all seasons, in all varieties and variations. Cold, hot, in summer, in winter, in a cup, in a glass, in a cake, on bread, in a saucepan, in a dough bowl and in the oven! So of course it’s a pleasure for us to explore and taste which typical dishes our four classics – CRIOLLO, THE FUDGE, CHOCF ORANGE and NUDE (and because we’re not dogmatic, we also let one or two of our cocoas shine) – go with in our European neighbouring countries!

Come with us on a little culinary journey!

Cześć! – Becks cocoa™ in Poland

The first thing that comes to mind is: borsch! This soup is eaten in Poland as everywhere else in Eastern and Central Europe. The basic ingredients are white cabbage and beetroot. There are countless regional variations, and it can be eaten warm or cold. For us, of course, no matter which version it is, a good pinch of BEET me up! goes into it. Because it was precisely this soup that inspired our kakako creation with beetroot and fine spices such as mustard, allspice, juniper berries and cloves. In Poland, borscht is often made with naturally fermented beetroot and served with spicy filled kołaczyk, round yeast rolls (which are also available in sweet!).

But now let’s move on to the desserts with our cocoas: Unlike the Bohemian kolach, the classic Polish wedding cake filled with poppy seeds, plum jam (powidl) and curd, babka is a sweet yeast cake – similar to a French brioche – covered with lots of chocolate. This cupcake is traditionally eaten at Easter. But it is always delicious! For the chocolate icing, we recommend simply mixing melted butter, milk, our CRIOLLO or THE FUDGE and sugar (if you use THE FUDGE, you only need a little!) until creamy.

Szia! – Becks cocoa™ in Hungary

Hungary is of course more than Budapest, the Danube and the K&K monarchy with its neighbour Austria. And also more than goulash and fish soup, salami sausages, dishes with lots of paprika or lángos, the delicious fried dough with sour cream and grated cheese on top.

Like apparently most Poles, we definitely fell in love with the Gundel pancake (Gundel palacsinta)! Hungarian chef Gundel Károly (1883-1956), founder of the posh Gundel restaurant in Budapest’s City Park, invented them: The super-thin pancakes (Palatschinken) are sinfully filled with a walnut cream, which includes sultanas and rum, and then covered with a chocolate sauce made with rum, vanilla, egg yolk. I wonder what we put in the chocolate sauce? The Becks cocoa™ CRIOLLO, of course, or for a change, our fine vanilla NUDE!

A second love from Poland for us are the Schomlauer Nockerl (Somlói Galuska), incidentally also invented in and by the Gundel. The Nockerln are also popular in Austria, where they are best served in Burgenland. We make them like this: Two different sponge cake bases – one natural, one with CRIOLLO cocoa – are alternately layered with a filling of sultanas soaked in rum, rum glaze, custard cream and CRIOLLO cocoa powder, as well as a topping of chocolate glaze (also with CRIOLLO, of course), whipped cream and chopped nuts (e.g. walnuts).

Another delightful sin from Poland is the dobo cake, also made of sponge cake, layered with chocolate buttercream. For this we also use the CRIOLLO.

Hej! – Becks cocoa™ in Sweden

The typical red and colourful houses, fjords, water, space, nature, loneliness – that’s what many people associate with Sweden. And of course Köttbullar (meatballs) with mashed potatoes and cream sauce, fish, Kroppkakor (stuffed potato dumplings), Falukorv (Falu sausage), Korv Stroganoff (sausage dish with noodles).

And us? We’re lusting after sweets again! Kanelbullar, the sweet cinnamon buns we make with Becks cocoa™ SINNERMAN, and Äppelkaka (apple pie), which we also sprinkle with SINNERMAN, come to mind. The popular chokladbollar, the chocolate confection similar to our rum balls, made with oatmeal, butter, sugar, vanilla, cocoa, cold espresso and decorated with coconut flakes, we spice up with our sophisticated T.E. LAWRENCE. Because it packs a punch with Turkish coffee, dates and a hint of cardamom!

The Semlor, a traditional yeast pastry with marzipan and cream, is topped with our AMYDALA and in the Kladdkaka chocolate cake we add one part

and one part CRIOLLO! By the way, the Semlor are also available in Finland as laskiaispulla and in Estonia – here they are called vastlakukkel.

Hejsa! – Becks cocoa™ in Denmark

Apart from lots of bread – the best known is probably the everyday snack Smørrebrød with various toppings – Danes love meat and fish in all variations: Eel, cod (e.g. Torsk: cod with potatoes and mustard sauce), herring and plaice are popular. Roast pork is also a national dish, cooked gently at a very low temperature. And of course hot dogs! In summer, wild berries are everywhere. A much-loved dessert: red fruit jelly with cream – rødgrød med fløde!

A Danish summer hit is Kalte Schale: Koldskål is made with buttermilk, eggs, sugar and enjoyed with Kammerjunkern – these are firm, small biscuits made of wheat flour, butter, egg, milk and sugar – as an accompaniment. The Kammerjunkern are also often refined with lemon peel and cardamom or vanilla. Try our NUDE as another ingredient.

At the end of summer, it’s time for lilac berry soup (elderberry soup). Traditionally it is spiced with cinnamon, our tip is to sprinkle it once with NUDE or for a change with SINNERMAN!

In addition to the Danes’ favourite pastry, Kanelsnegl (cinnamon buns, which we of course also enjoy with SINNERMAN), there are often sweet rolls with the lovely name Boller. A traditional speciality from Denmark, which is served at New Year’s Eve or big celebrations like weddings, is Kransekage (it is also popular in Norway, where it is called Kransekak). This elaborate wreath cake is made of several marzipan rings layered on top of each other and decorated in loop patterns with a icing of icing sugar and egg white. The cake pieces are often decorated with a mini national flag. We quickly sprinkle the Becks cocoa™ marzipan cocoa AMYDALA on top.

Now we have an old recipe to finish off with our cream caramel cocoa THE FUDGE: the Veiled Peasant Girl. It originates from Holstein and is popular in Denmark (here it is called Bondepige med slør) and in Friesland (Buerndeern mit Sleier) as a dessert. Wholemeal bread crumbs or oatmeal caramelised in the pan are alternately layered in a glass with applesauce and cranberry jelly (alternatively raspberry jam). We garnish the whole thing with a dollop of whipped cream, THE FUDGE, a few of the bread crumbs and toasted almond flakes.

Hi, hello! – Becks cocoa™ in England

In the UK, our four classics are served in coffee houses and can also be found on supermarket shelves. We’ve taken a look at some of the classics of British cuisine and enhanced them with our cocoas!

Sweet England!

The traditional lemon meringue pie, Lemon Meringue Pie, as well as the English lemon curd, Lime Creme Lime Curd – these creams for bread are made from eggs, sugar, butter and lemons (or limes) and their zest – can be sprinkled with a touch of CRIOLLO!
And also the various crumbles, fruit baked with butter crumble – are a delight if you season the crumble with CRIOLLO,  CHOC ORANGE or THE FUDGE!
The popular Tipsy Cake, covered in whipped cream and almonds, can also be topped with our cocoa.
Muffins come in all shapes and sizes! We love them classic with CRIOLLO, creamy caramel with THE FUDGE or orangy with CHOC ORANGE as a chocolatey ingredient. By the way, the creation of bloggers Klara & Ida, who developed these beetroot and blackberry muffins for us, is also exciting – with our beetroot and cocoa BEET me up!

But also hearty dishes such as the classic mint sauce, which is served cold with cold or warm meat (e.g. lamb), gain – just like the popular mixed pickles! – gains depth and flavour with the addition of CRIOLLO! For the sauce, take freshly chopped green mint and boil it with a little hot water, white wine vinegar, brown sugar (or honey) and optionally some lemon juice. When cool, season with a pinch of salt and a touch of CRIOLLO or optionally our Becks cocoa™ mint cocoa BEFORE NINE.

English chunteys of all kinds are made on the basis of coconut meat – whether with mint, chilli, coriander, mango, the mango powder Amchur or tamarind – you can of course also refine them with our CRIOLLO.

Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania also drink Becks cocoa™!

Fish, lots of fish, is what you get in Latvia, situated on the Baltic Sea, where people like to eat hearty and according to the seasons. Soups, forest fruits such as mushrooms and berries, bread, bliny and pierogi, birch sap, maple syrup and, most importantly, dairy products such as sour cream and curd cheese with almost everything!

Estonia is a down-to-earth country. Meat, fish, dairy products, cereals, potatoes and sauerkraut are the mainstays of the cooks, along with seasonal field and garden fruits. They prefer to cook fresh, using local produce, and spices are used sparingly. Salads such as potato salad, mushroom salad and beetroot salad are also indispensable in the kitchen.

We have chosen one of the most popular desserts: kama cream! Kama is a flour mixture of barley, rye, oats and pea – similar to the Finnish talc kuna – and is eaten for breakfast mixed with yoghurt, milk or kefir. If you like, you can add berries or even pepper and salt. We add a spoonful of NUDE or THE FUDGE! For the creamy dessert, kama is mixed with sour cream, roasted hazelnuts, vanilla, cinnamon and gelatine, with a special honey sauce. Again, we add a little Becks cocoa™ magic with NUDE or with SINNERMAN FORTE.

Lithuania is famous for its cold dishes like cheese, smoked meat, smoked fish. Hearty dishes such as roulades (zrazy), potato dishes (the most famous are probably cepelinai – potato dumplings filled with cottage cheese or minced meat!), soups, cereal grits, blynai – pancakes prepared with everything sweet and spicy imaginable are popular. Bread is an important addition almost everywhere.

We are particularly fond of Šakotis, a kind of pyramid cake with prongs on the side. It is made with lots of eggs, butter, sugar or honey and sour cream and is the traditional dessert served at weddings and birthdays. You can decorate the pastry with chocolate, among other things! Of course, we use a glaze with one of our cocoas, preferably CHOC ORANGE!

Finally, some bloody facts

A rather unusual meal for our tongues are different varieties of blood pudding. It exists in many countries, in hearty and sweet forms. In the past, a soup dish called black and sour was also made here, especially in northern Germany, as a typical dish during slaughter. A Russian-Baltic version of blood pudding consists of fresh pig’s blood, butter, flour, cream, egg yolks and beaten egg whites, seasoned with salt, nutmeg and marjoram, for example. In Sweden, blood pudding is made with rye flour, bacon and syrup. It is refined with salt, pepper, marjoram, cinnamon, lemon peel, cloves or allspice. With all variations, an addition of CRIOLLO is very tasty!

By the way, the Italian pudding-like dessert sanguinaccio is also cooked from fresh pig’s blood. It is made with milk, sugar, flour and cocoa. It is spiced with a pinch of cinnamon, vanilla and candied lemon peel. We recommend refining the Sanguinaccio with either our CRIOLLO, the SINNERMAN FORTE or the NUDE! The dessert is eaten cold.

Now it’s your turn! What unusual recipes do you know or have you brought back from Sweden, Denmark, Hungary, Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania or Great Britain? And would you like to try them out and refine them for us with cocoa? Post them and write us on Facebook or Instagram! We are already very excited about your ideas!

Did you know where our Becks Cocoa cocoas are drunk in our neighbouring countries? You’ll be surprised at the varieties! And what we do with them at Christmas time …read more here!