Himmel und Erde

The story

Himmel und Erde means heaven and earth, and the name describes the plate. Apples grow up in the trees toward the sky, while potatoes come out of the ground; in parts of southern Germany they are even called Erdäpfel, earth apples. The dish is mashed potatoes combined with stewed apples, and versions of it have been cooked in German regions since the 18th century. It is popular in the Rhineland, Westphalia and Lower Saxony and was once common in Silesia. Across the border, in the Dutch provinces of Gelderland and North Brabant, the same mix is called hete bliksem, hot lightning. Potatoes and apples were cheap, and they made a filling country meal at times when meat was expensive and hard to come by. In Cologne, where the name is spoken Himmel un Äd, the dish comes with crisp slices of fried blood sausage and browned onions, and the city's tourism site insists the potatoes be mashed, never pureed. Cologne treats the dish as a partner for Kölsch beer; at home, add a green salad or pickled cucumbers.