The region’s menu
Main Franconia is always going to be wine country, colloquially known as “Weinfranken”. This is not a cliché, but is simply calling a spade a spade. Wine feels at home in Main Franconia because the region has the best conditions: fertile soils with strong characteristics, a mild climate and quality-conscious, innovative winemakers – the Franconian wine country is firmly established as one of the best German winegrowing regions. A good bottle of wine is therefore an integral item on the region’s menu. And this offers gourmets plenty of opportunities to enjoy culinary treats all year round. Each season sets the table in its own way, each season captures the delight of what makes it so special.
Rhön lamb instead of lobster
Franconian asparagus, for example, is the royal entrée to the culinary year in spring, served not only with fine tenderloin, but preferably in typical Franconian style with Bratwurst sausages! As soon as the sun’s rays warm the pastures in the Rhön biosphere reserve and the grass starts growing again, the shepherds set off with their animals. The lambs enjoy the fresh herbs, which in turn makes their meat extremely tender and flavourful. Summer and autumn is the time for fruits, whose flavour is also captured by many distilleries in the Spessart and Steigerwald – be it pears or quince, plums or mirabelle plums. And from September to April, the carp from Franconia’s lakes and pond is in season, whether it is served classically as “blue” poached carp or interpreted in a modern way, for example as a fillet in a crispy muesli crust. And the range of game meats in combination with local mushrooms also attracts locals and tourists alike to restaurants. This wealth of local ingredients also explains why the Franconian people often prefer lamb from Rhön over lobster from the Atlantic, trout and carp from their own fish farm over swordfish, blootz (a Franconian speciality) over pizza and, of course, the famous “Schlachtschüssel” in Schweinfurt.
Award-winning tradition and country inn charm
Gourmets and gourmands in Main Franconia are therefore not only attracted to restaurants awarded with a Michelin star or a Bib Gourmand. The “Philipp” restaurant in Sommerhausen, for example, received its 20th Michelin star in a row in 2023, and the “Laudensack” restaurant in Bad Kissingen even its 30th star in a row. With “Kuno 1408” in Würzburg and “Weinstock” in Volkach, Main Franconia currently has a total of four Michelin-starred restaurants. Gourmets will also find plenty of opportunities to sample dishes in the “mature bull with chocolate parsnip” or “chestnuts in orange stock” category in Main Franconia.
The Convivium Mainfranken-Hohenlohe regional group traditionally contributes most recommendations to the Slow Food Guide for Germany, currently 25 restaurants. But in many charming communities between the Main and upland areas, people cultivate and appreciate an authentic culinary tradition, and so locals and holidaymakers alike are drawn above all to the wealth of Franconian country inns, where Franconian “Sauerbraten with gingerbread sauce” or “Krenfleisch” – boiled beef with horseradish – grace almost every menu. And where an absolute must is a “Schäufele”, a slow-cooked, strongly seasoned shoulder of pork, with a crispy crust on the outside and so buttery soft on the inside that the meat almost melts off the bone.
Conclusion: the scenic region between Spessart in the west, Rhön in the north and Steigerwald in the east also has the necessary culinary “ingredients” to turn a stay into an experience in any season. However, it is regrettable that not only the pandemic, but above all the staff shortage that is also rampant in this industry have clearly left their mark. Quite a few establishments have restricted opening hours, can no longer open at lunchtime during the week or serve all the seats that are theoretically available. But the Franconian people are not only flexible, funny, cheerful and know how to enjoy themselves, they always find a way to satisfy their hunger and thirst properly.
