Rote Gruetze is the north German red-berry pudding, a thickened compote of red currants, raspberries, cherries and strawberries served cold with vanilla cream or milk.

Rote Gruetze dates to 17th-century North German peasant cooking, when the late-summer berry harvests overlapped. The Hamburg version uses red currants, raspberries, cherries and strawberries thickened with potato starch (formerly with semolina); served cold with vanilla cream, vanilla sauce or full-cream milk. Every Hamburg dessert menu in July and August carries Rote Gruetze; Old Commercial Room and Deichgraf use the canonical Hamburg recipe.

Where to eat Rote Gruetze in Hamburg

3 editor picks for Rote Gruetze in Hamburg, ranked by editorial score. All Hamburg signature dishes · Rote Gruetze across every city.

  • Old Commercial Room

    Order The Original Hamburger Labskaus with fried egg, herring, beetroot and gherkin.

    Old Commercial Room opposite the Michel in Hamburg has cooked Hanseatic harbour food since 1795 and is the city's canonical Labskaus address.

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  • Fischereihafen Restaurant

    Order The Hamburger Aalsuppe; the Pannfisch with mustard sauce.

    Fischereihafen Restaurant on Grosse Elbstrasse in Hamburg-Altona has cooked classical Hanseatic seafood since 1981, with daily catch from the harbour below.

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  • Deichgraf

    Order The Labskaus with Rollmops; the Aalsuppe with raisins.

    Deichgraf on the historic Deichstrasse in Hamburg's Neustadt cooks traditional Hanseatic dishes on the city's oldest canal-side street, rebuilt.

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Make it at home

Serves 63 hrEasy

Ingredients

  • 300g red currants, stripped from stems
  • 200g raspberries
  • 200g pitted cherries
  • 200g strawberries, hulled and halved
  • 150g sugar
  • 500ml water
  • 4 tablespoons potato starch
  • 100ml cold water for slurry
  • 1 vanilla pod, split
  • Vanilla cream or full-cream milk to serve

Method

  1. Combine red currants, cherries, water, sugar and vanilla pod in a pan. Simmer 8 minutes.
  2. Mix potato starch with cold water to a slurry. Whisk into the simmering fruit; cook 2 minutes until thick.
  3. Stir in raspberries and strawberries; remove from heat. The residual heat softens them.
  4. Remove the vanilla pod. Pour into bowls.
  5. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate at least 3 hours.
  6. Serve cold with vanilla cream or cold milk poured over.

Editor tip. The starch must reach a boil to thicken; under-cooked Rote Gruetze stays watery.

Common allergens: Dairy.