Remedy and bread for strength
Lübeck and marzipan. Wasn’t it quite obvious that we would also have devote ourselves to this globally beloved sweet in the Lübeck ZWISCHENZEILEN ? There’s no escaping it, especially since marzipan has been well known and loved for centuries. As early as around 900, the Persian physician Rhazes reported on the healing effect of the sugar-almond mixture. It was presented as a gift to the highest dignitaries of the empire. It was an indispensable dessert at royal and princely tables during the Renaissance. The popes were also in no way inferior to the secular princes.
Many stories and legends are associated with this delicious almond dish. Thus, in England, out of ignorance of what to do with the mass, people allegedly tried to fry or boil marzipan. In the Philippines – it is said – in 1928, a marzipan cake was thought to be a wall plate, but after framing it collapsed. And in 1895, Chicago even strongly discouraged the consumption of marzipan. It is “the most indigestible substance, apart from putty and butter sandwiches served in train stations. I like marzipan and have these tips from Lübeck for you.
7 towers – 7 tips
Lübeck marzipan
Marzilade – this is marzipan mixed with fruit. Delicious on your breakfast roll, with pancakes, or as a topping for your ice cream. Sounds good, doesn’t it? When you have marzilade on your tongue, you first taste the fruit and then the marzipan. Walter Schmidt and Susanne Menhardt use only natural vegan ingredients and Lübeck marzipan of the best quality for the marzilade. The fruit comes from the region and the marzilade is filled into jars by hand. A careful handling of all resources, but also an appreciative cooperation with dealers and customers is very important to both of them.
Walter and Susanne spend a lot of time testing new flavours. There are now marzilade fans all over Germany. You can order the marzilade from home in the online store to look forward to your visit in Lübeck. Here in Lübeck, you can find marzilade in well-stocked retail stores and at our tourist information office at Holstentorplatz 1. My favourite marzilade, by the way, is cassis marzipan.
Lübeck candy manufactory Bonbonmanufaktur
Lübecker Bonbonmanufaktur offers handmade sweets from natural ingredients. Here you will find Lübeck’s first marzipan candy in three different flavours. The face behind the manufactory is candy maker Tanja Ebrecht. If you’re in Lübeck, a trip to Tanja is an absolute must, because in the store, in addition to the colourful jars of candies, handmade chocolates and liqueurs, you’ll be surprised by a unique mural that dates back to around 1280, but was rediscovered by chance only 600 years later during renovation work.
It portrayes the cycle of creation. In many of Lübeck’s Old Town houses there are wall and ceiling paintings. Not all of them are open to the public. At the Bonbon-Manufaktur you can immerse yourself in the sweet life – and in the biblical story of the creation of the world in seven days. Tanja is always very happy to provide information. So feel free to ask her for details. Her manufactory is a real insider tip!
KöniGin of the Hanseatic League
A marzipan liqueur from Lübeck, produced in 2018 to celebrate the 875th anniversary of the founding of Lübeck. A creamy experience for your palate. Clemens Dietrich, the tireless owner of Dietrich’s at Untertrave 109 in Lübeck, has created it using the best ingredients. You will taste the almond note and rose water and be delighted. It’s best to try it at Dietrich’s and then take a bottle home with you. You can also order it online here in the store – if you don’t want to wait any longer for your visit to Lübeck.
Lübeck marzipan school
Marzipan is wonderful to shape and model. When you watch expert, it doesn’t seem to be that complicated: you take some marzipan, shape a ball, roll and knead a little, pull here, shape there, maybe a bit of colour and decoration, and whoosh – there’s your self-created marzipan work of art. However, if you’re not quite sure you can do it, a short seminar at the Marzipan-Schule in Marzipan-Land in Lübeck is recommended. There you will be shown how to design your personal creation and model it with the appropriate tool. You can expect entertaining hours and at the end you will definitely not want to nibble away your work of art because it looks so cute.
Vegan marzipan
Among the marzipan manufacturers based in Lübeck, the Niederegger company is certainly the best known worldwide. You can indulge in delicious marzipan creations and marzipan cappuccino in the café at Breite Straße 89 and pick up souvenirs for your loved ones in the store. Niederegger now also offers marzipan for vegans. For example, oat milk and vegan cocoa are used for the melt-in-the-mouth coating. A really successful alternative in four flavours.
Marzipan roll from the Schneckenhaus café
Fancy a handmade marzipan bun? You can find them at the Tourist-Information at Holstentorplatz 1 in the Schneckenhaus café. The ingredients used are mostly fair trade, organic quality and from the region. There are 12 different savoury and sweet varieties, but the marzipan roll is the only one in true Lübeck-style. The Schneckenhaus boss Max Strupp and his team prepare the dough for the snails very early every morning. The promising scent of the fresh pastry travels all the way into my office. Hard to resist, but already Oscar Wilde famously remarked that the only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it.
Marzipan Museum
If you want to learn how the news of marzipan production reached Lübeck, why there are so many renowned marzipan manufacturers in Lübeck, what marzipan models are and where the ingredients for the dessert come from, then stop by the Marzipan Museum on the 2nd floor of the Niederegger Café. The visit is free of charge and a special experience not only when it rains. You can marvel at the life-size marzipan lovers Emperor Charles V, Thomas Mann and Wolfgang Joop, among others.
500 kg of marzipan were used to create the ensemble of figures. On 200 m2 of exhibition space you will discover historical exhibits, overview maps and impressive marzipan creations, and you can watch films on the subject. However, the recipe for the famous Lübeck marzipan is not revealed in the museum. It remains a family secret, passed down from generation to generation.
