Half a rooster in name only: a rye roll (Röggelchen) with a slab of medium-aged Gouda, mustard and onion, a Brauhaus classic that costs about €7.50 to €8.50 in the old town.

The name is a joke: a Röggelchen normally comes as two halves, and the Brauhaus story says that guests short of money once asked the Köbes for 'ne halve han' (a half one). Brauhaus Pütz's menu adds that a disappointed guest who expected a chicken sued and lost, and the court recognised the dish as culinary heritage. Päffgen, Peters Brauhaus and Brauhaus Sion all list it, with Dutch or medium-aged Gouda.

Where to eat Halve Hahn in Cologne

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Make it at home

Serves 25 minEasy

Ingredients

  • 2 fresh rye bread rolls (Roggenbrötchen)
  • 150g medium-aged Dutch Gouda, cut in 5mm slabs
  • Mittelscharf (medium-hot) German mustard
  • 4 large gherkins, sliced into spears
  • 1 small white onion, sliced in thin rings
  • Sweet paprika to dust
  • Cold butter, in small pat
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

  1. Split each rye roll horizontally. Lightly butter the cut faces.
  2. Lay a thick slab of Gouda on the bottom half of each roll, allowing the cheese to overhang the edges slightly.
  3. Dust the cheese with a pinch of sweet paprika and a grind of black pepper.
  4. Top with raw onion rings (optional in the most traditional version) and prop the gherkin spears alongside.
  5. Spoon a small mound of mustard onto the plate, never directly on the bread.
  6. Serve with a 0.2L Kölsch on the side; the bread soaks up the beer between bites.

Editor tip. Use medium-aged Dutch Gouda (mittelalt), the cheese Brauhaus Sion and Peters name on their menus.

Common allergens: Gluten, Dairy.