Münsterländer Struwen: A Traditional Dish of Germany eaten on Good Friday

The fried yeast pancake called Münsterländer Struwen is a Christian sweet dish that is traditionally eaten on the occasion of Good Friday, Christmas and Easter; the Münsterländer Struwen or Struven is the Lenten fast tradition in Christians; it is enjoyed during the Fast, Especially on Good Friday’s -also called Karfreitag Fastengericht in Germany. 

Although we don’t need to wait for these Yeast pancakes, Münsterländer Struwen or Struven, on festive days only, as they can be found regularly and throughout the year, these are still popular only on Good Fridays.

Most things are closed today. Dancing in public is breaking the law in 13 of Germany’s 16 states; three have a partial daytime Tanzverbot, Bavaria’s lasts for 70 hours, and even some movies are banned. Ghostbusters and Heidi.

Struwen was first mentioned in a document written in Latin in 1090.

There was a dispute between the Abbess and nuns of Freckenhorst Monastery (now St. Bonifatius) in Warendorf. Bishop Erpho of Münster decreed that on various holidays, such as Christmas, Easter and Whitsun, for dinner, the women of the monastery were to be served a dish known by the people as “strive”—an Old Saxon word meaning “something curly”, “something frizzy.

Later die, Struwen was a pancake, which was also what was meant at the time of the document.

Easy to make and “Wunderbar”, here is the recipe used for another of Germany’s Easter customs:

For four portions…

1. 500 g Mehl… 4 cups all-purpose flour
2. 0,38 Liter Milch… 3 tbsp milk
3. 42 g Hefe (1 Würfel)… 1.1/2 ounces fresh yeast, two packages of instant dry yeast
4. 2 EL Zucker… just under an ounce
5. 125 g Rosinen… 5 ounces raisins
6. 1 Ei… 1 egg
7. ½ TL Salz… ½ teaspoon salt

Fett, Bake, and use oil or fat to fry; you can easily double the number of raisins and use less salt. Allow the yeast to rise with a little lukewarm milk.

Sift the flour into a bowl, add all the ingredients, including the risen yeast, and mix with the lukewarm milk. The dough must rise for at least one hour. Form flat patties from the dough, about 8 – 10 cm 3+ to -4 inches in diameter, and fry in a pan on both sides.

Depending on taste, Struwen can be sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon before eating, and they are often served with apple or plum compote.