An American Girl in a German Deli

Today I wanted to try one of several jarred items that always seem to catch my eye and draw me in. We have a few BENDE  products and they all look very appetizing, for today I chose the Hot Mixed Salad. Looking at it through the glass I am imagining it will taste like a spicy cole slaw.

Theo described this to me as being the Hungarian version of Kimchi.

Reading over the label is a habit I’ve gotten into lately, this is how I discovered that this is a product of Hungary (also a ½ cup serving is only 20 calories!)

Popping the jar open at my desk I was pleasantly overwhelmed by the aroma of vinegar & sweet pickles. Spooning out the contents for pictures I noticed that the cuts and slices of pickles, cabbage, onions, peppers and green tomatoes were not evenly cut…a strange thing to notice but I’ve worked in the kitchen and know the difference between veggies that were cut by hand & the ones that were put through a slicer or processor.  The overall look was that of a handmade salad.

The first bite was a small adventure, with a light taste of vinegar, followed by flavors of pickle, and then the heat. I enjoy spicy foods so for me the fire was a bit of a surprise but not overwhelming. The texture was just as I had expected, similar to cole slaw. The heat stayed with me for several minutes afterwards making my mouth all tingly.

Sydney was walking by and was curious enough to try a bite. We brainstormed for a minute about how it would taste great as a sandwich.  I handed over the jar and she disappeared into the kitchen to see just what would be great with a mixed salad.

Upon her return a few moments later she described what she had done.  Using one of our fresh brotchen as a bun she melted a slice of Munster cheese over some Ziguener Turkey.  A light spread of mayo on the bun and a spoon full of the heated hot mixed salad.  Sydney said that it gave the meat a nice sweet flavor when cooked but the spicy bite was milder afterwards.  I packed more of the salad on to my half, making the sandwich a fun mix of hot and cold. The gooey melted Munster was fantastic with the crunch of the cool mixed salad. All together it tamped down the spiciness from a pronounced taste to a more of an accenting flavor.

Overall it is delicious; I ended up finishing the remainder. I’m now looking forward to the next few hours to enjoy the left over heat that I can still taste.