My German Wife Weighs in on American Desserts

Voodoo-Doughnut-Box-Portland-Oregon-Donuts
“You got the ‘Beetus?” — Image Credit: Michael (a.k.a. moik) McCullough (https://www.flickr.com/photos/ex_magician/) — Subject to CC 2.0 License.

Portland, Oregon is a haven for food enthusiasts,  affectionately known as “foodies.” (I kind of hate that word, but I used it for you anyway, Dear Reader, because I would bleed for you.) And for reasons I do not wholly understand, the food scene here is absolutely exploding: food cart pods are blossoming on both sides of the river, ethnic cuisine from around the globe is represented by family-owned and operated restaurants in all 4 quadrants of the city (Note: I also hate the word ‘ethnic’), and, of course, we have our infamous dessert destinations…

Pix Patisserie, Voodoo Doughnut, Papa Haydn and Rimsky-Korsakoffee House are just a few of Portland’s sugary locales guaranteed to throw off your insulin balance like a fat kid on a teeter-totter. However, my wife and I largely ignore these places because: A) My wife is German, so her idea of ‘dessert’ is some ultra-dense cake the color of midnight with a taste that is one part intimidation and two parts depression; and B) I prefer savory over sweet, and like any true American worth his salt, I keep my systolic blood pressure at a screaming 200 mmHg.

This is why, when asked to define our taste preferences, my wife will proudly inform you:

THE WIFE: “We don’t eat much dessert. We are not sweeties.”

Click here to learn more about the term “Denglish.”

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12 thoughts

  1. I have several sweet teeth, I swear, so I guess I’m a sweetie. When I think of Germany though, I think mostly chocolate and desserts. How are they different than in America?

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