Dampfnudel Duel

One of the best ways of celebrating your survival after completing a hair-raising descent of an icy piste is to shed your skies or snowboard and get stuck into a Dampfnudel. While literally translating to steamed noodle, it's essentially a massive dumpling, served either in savoury or sweet form. It can be the best way of reaffirming life after partaking of death-defying winter sports. Combined with a bucketload of après-ski alcohol, the Dampfnudel makes everything good in the wintery world.

Such a culinary treat should be treasured, and the Dampfnudel is certainly championed as a fine example of the German kitchen in the places where it is held most dear. But, as with most things coveted by the many, it is fiercely defended by the few.

Instead of devouring the monstrous ball of dough with vigor – or with either mushrooms in white sauce or custard and jam, depending on your taste – the good people of Bavaria and Rhineland Palatinate are channelling their energies into slagging each other off over the origin of the Dampfnudel.

Arguments over food and drink are not a new thing in Germany. Most recently, the Berliners have had to defend their currywurst against covetous northerners while the people of Hesse almost came to blows with Brussels over their Apfelwein. So, apart from it all being rather petty and unseemly, what's the deal with this new outbreak of culinary hostilities?

Bavarians stake claim on the Web

Well, as with most food fights it all stems from perceived ownership and the regional pride a particular food can instil. The Bavarians have stolen a march on the Rhineland folk by proclaiming on the electronic oracle of all that is truthful (the Internet to the rest of us) that the Dampfnudel is a speciality of Bavaria. The Rhinelanders fear that this will lead to their rivals to the south staking a claim for ownership of the dumpling at an EU level.

"We will not allow them to take the Dampfnudel without a fight," proclaimed Rhineland-Palatinate's Minister of Agriculture Hendrik Hering in a local newspaper article on the growing crisis. He added that all judicial and diplomatic efforts would be employed in keeping the origin of the Dampfnudel associated with the Rhineland.

Rhinelanders expose rivals as culinary magpies

On first glance, the Rhinelanders may appear to be the antagonists here. The Bavarians have done nothing other than stake a claim, rightly or wrongly, to something they believe to be theirs. But on further investigation, it appears that Bavaria has form when it comes to snaffling other regions' delicacies and calling them their own.

Glancing at the offending Internet site, "Food from Bavaria," there are the obvious specialities from that most proud region of Germany: the veal sausage, Abensberger asparagus and Hefeweizen wheat beer among them. But since when did Swabian Maultaschen, the oversized savoury-stuffed pillows from neighbouring Baden-Württemberg, come from Bavaria? How long have the Swabian Spätzle noodles been a Bavarian invention?

Digging deeper, one can see that maybe the Rhineland has a point…