Streuseltaler and Brezel: Sweet Memories from Germany

In Germany, we have a pastry called Streuseltaler, and it holds a special place in my heart. When I lived off-base in Heidelberg, there was a bakery right across the street from my bus stop. This bus was crucial because it was the only one that took you from off-base to base, provided by the military for kids with parents who worked far away.

My two siblings and I had separate buses because we went to different schools, being different ages. My younger sister, who was a year and a half younger, eventually aged up, and we started taking the same bus. But I give you all this background because, embarrassingly enough, I would often miss the bus getting these pastries because they were that good.

My parents would be upset, but I wouldn’t be because I enjoyed the pastries. My time management has always been poor. Thankfully, I could rely on friends and their parents to drive me when I missed the bus, or I’d ask the other buses to take me to my school—they’d help me out.

Streuseltaler is something I want you to look up. It’s a delicious pastry with a crumbly topping that’s hard to resist. I also have fond memories of the Brezel or the German pretzel. One field trip with my German immersion class was to a German bakery. They invited students interested in baking back to the bakery, and I got to make my two favorite pastries—Streuseltaler and Brezel. Other students chose things like the zoo or doctors, but for me, it was all about those pastries.

I have childhood pictures of me eating the Brezel, capturing those sweet memories from Germany.