Let’s say you’re hiking on a Saturday afternoon. It’s 3 p.m. and your stomach is growling. It’s too late for lunch and too early for dinner, but you and your buddies have packed sandwiches that you’re about to eat. In Bavaria – Germany’s southernmost state – you would refer to this meal as Brotzeit.
Brotzeit is a sort of “meal-between-meals”. Directly translated, it means “bread time” – and although bread is often eaten at Brotzeit, that’s not always the case. In the US, it might be referred to as a snack. But it’s more than just a bag of chips or a granola bar: Brotzeit usually refers to something more substantive, like several slices of bread, cheese and meat. For the most part, Brotzeit is a cold meal – one that does not require much preparation and one that can easily be packed for the road.
Most commonly, Brotzeit is consumed between lunch and dinner. Hikers, skiers, athletes, travelers and other adventurers might take an afternoon break from their activities for Brotzeit. If you have kids who get hungry frequently, you might sit them down for Brotzeit in the afternoon.
The word is also used in Bavarian beer gardens, where Brotzeit might refer to both the meal and accompanying drinks.
But if you’re taking a Brotzeit break, make sure your portions are reasonable: after all, you’ll still want to save room for dinner!
By Nicole Glass, German Embassy
