Bremen
The state of Bremen lies in northwestern Germany. It is Germany's smallest state and is made up of two cities: Bremen and Bremerhaven. Its total population is 664,800 (as of 2009).
Bremen is bordered only by the German state of Lower Saxony (Niedersachsen). Its two cities are located 36 miles (60 km) apart, divided by cities of Lower Saxony.
Bremen's harbor is Germany's second largest in terms of foreign trade. Imports and exports that travel through Bremen include fish, meat, and dairy products, teas, cotton, rice, tabacco, wine, fruits, coffee, and automobiles.
Bremen is an important center for the automobile, steel, ship building, aircraft, and aerospace industries, as well as the food and high-tech industries. Bremen is home for many plants and factories, including DaimlerChrysler, Airbus, Kraft Foods, Beck Brewery, Kellogg's, and Melitta-Coffee.
Culinary Specialties of Bremen
Bremen's closeness to the ocean and its role as a major harbor city have greatly influenced cooking in the region. This is evident in the many recipes using exotic ingredients imported from distant countries. Likewise, Bremen is known for its exceptional coffee which it obtains from its worldwide trade partners.
The most important vegetables in Bremen cooking are potatoes and kale. "Kale and Pinkel" is one of the favorite meals here. Kale is accompanied by Pinkel Wurst, which is a wurst made with oatmeal. Many clubs, associations, and groups of friends take part in numerous "Kohlfahrten" (kale tours). These consist of long hikes, after which they have dinner at local restaurants. Dinner consist of kale, wurst, and schnaps. After dinner, more schnaps and dancing.
Bremen is also well known for its beer and coffee. Not only is it the home of Becks Brewery, it is also home of one of Germany's largest coffee producers, Jacobs Kaffee.
A list of popular foods and dishes in Bremen are listed below.
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| Kale (Grünkohl) |
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Largest Cities
The state of Bremen is made up of two cities.
Bremen |
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Bremen is the capital city of the state of Bremen. Its population (as of January 2006) is 547,000, making it Bremen's largest city. |
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| Bremen is completely surrounded by the state of Lower Saxony (Niedersachsen). The Weser River flows through the city. Bremen's harbor handles passenger traffic, automobile import and export, as well as container transport. |
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| Bremen's origins date back to the first through the eighth centuries AD, during which many colonies settled along the Weser River. |
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| Bremerhaven |
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Bremerhaven is Bremen's second city, with a population of 116,000 (as of June 2006). |
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| Bremerhaven is located at the intersection of the Geeste and Weser Rivers, close to the North Sea. It is a harbor city, a seaside resort city, as well as an important fishing port. It is, in fact, Germany's most important fishing port, which is why it's nickname is "Fishtown." |
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