Brotzeit, Butterbrot, Bütterchen?

When it comes to breakfast or dinner, in most German families the main part is bread, “Brot” in German language.

Mothers and fathers are preparing so called “Butterbrote”, which means, a slice of bread, spread with butter, and then with toppings like sausage, cheese, tomatos, or sweet toppings like marmalade or Nutella. For very small children, they remove the crust and cut the rest into little pieces – it is the nicest memory to your childhood you can have.

For these “Butterbrote”, they have different names in different areas of Germany: In Berlin they call it “Stulle”, in Hamburg it is a “Schnitte”, near to the river Saar they eat the “Butterschmier” and in Sachsen it is a “Bemme”. We even heard the cute word “Bütterchen” for the slice of bread, which is also a beloved food for hiking tours, for school brakes, for travelling….there are endless possibilities.

In Bavaria they call it “Brotzeit” in the afternoon, it is a meal between lunch and dinner, and they serve it with pretzels and radish.