Recipe for Jägerschnitzel Made in the GDR - a classic poor man's dish

What is a Jägerschnitzel? This quintessentially edible question continues to divide East and West into at least two camps, even 34 years after reunification. In the former West Germany, the prevailing opinion is that a Jägerschnitzel is veal or pork topped with mushrooms swimming in a cream sauce, resulting in a delicious death – at least according to West German palates.

If you ask someone from the former East Germany, the answer appears as a round breaded briquette in a spiral forest and a fire brigade sauce as red as the ladder trucks of the lifesavers.

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To get straight to the point: Neither interpretation in this culinary tale is wrong; even the Austrian version, served naked and without breading, has the same value and deserves all its fans. After all, regional variations exist in other recipes as well, and sometimes, quite generally, there are different understandings of what a word means.

Social scientist Daniel Kubiak from Humboldt University in Berlin summarized for Central German Broadcasting (MDR) in early November what remains unequal even after 34 years of reunification and unity. He says: "If you ask 'What is a Jägerschnitzel?' and a West German doesn't know that in East Germany, Jägerschnitzel is breaded sausage with noodles and tomato sauce, then they can't imitate the East German at all." East Germans, on the other hand, are quite aware that in the West, a Jägerschnitzel is a schnitzel with mushroom cream sauce.

The reason for the popular East German version of Jägerschnitzel likely stemmed, as is so often the case, from the shortages in the German Democratic Republic. Pork schnitzel was far from always available – and mushrooms, at least, weren't a frequent sight in state-run stores. After reunification, East German cuisine faded somewhat into obscurity, but with the resurgence of nostalgia for the GDR, Jägerschnitzel "made in the GDR" is making a comeback.

This recipe is therefore about Jägerschnitzel made from Jagdwurst, a delicious poor man's food that was popular in countless factory canteens, cafeterias and schools in the GDR and continues to be a classic dish for many people.

Anyone wanting to recreate Jägerschnitzel at home probably already has almost all the ingredients on hand, without having to venture into the deli aisle at the supermarket. It's best to start the recipe with the sauce, because frying the Jägerschnitzel needs to happen relatively quickly.

For the sauce, melt 100 grams of butter and stir in two tablespoons of tomato paste until smooth, then stir in two tablespoons of flour. Next, add 150 milliliters of water, then 250 grams of ketchup, and season the sauce with sugar, salt, and pepper.

Coat the slices of Jagdwurst (about one centimeter thick) first in flour, then in egg, and finally in breadcrumbs. Heat oil in a pan and fry the Jägerschnitzel until golden brown. Serve with 250 grams of pasta such as fusilli, but fries or potatoes are also a delicious and suitable side dish.