Birnen Bohnen und Speck is a signature dish of Germany; we have verified places to eat it in Hamburg. This north German autumn classic combines green beans, pears and smoked bacon in one pot, the sweet-savoury-smoky balance the signature of Hanseatic seasonal cooking. Start with where to eat Birnen Bohnen und Speck in Hamburg.

Birnen Bohnen und Speck · Hamburg

This north German autumn classic combines green beans, pears and smoked bacon in one pot, the sweet-savoury-smoky balance the signature of Hanseatic seasonal cooking.

Birnen Bohnen und Speck dates to 17th-century North German farm cooking, when the late-summer green-bean and pear harvests overlapped. Hamburg adopted the dish from the Schleswig-Holstein hinterland through the 19th century. The recipe is fixed: green beans, small whole hard pears (Kochbirnen), thick-sliced smoked bacon, savory (Bohnenkraut), and salted potatoes alongside. Old Commercial Room and Fischereihafen Restaurant cook the seasonal version through August and September.

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Where to eat Birnen Bohnen und Speck in Hamburg: the editor picks