German word of the day: Mettigel
This traditional German 'hedgehog' dish may be a culture shock to foreigners, but it's good to familiarise yourself with it (and maybe you'll even enjoy it).
Why do I need to know der Mettigel?
It could be that during your travels around Germany, someone invites you to enjoy a nice Mettigel? In this case, it's better to know what you're getting yourself into.
What does it mean?
Das Mett refers to raw minced pork, and it comes from the old Low German word for food, and later meat. Der Igel is the German word for hedgehog. A Mettigel, which is pronounced like this, is quite literally, a ground pork hedgehog.
In Berlin, raw minced pork is called Hackepeter, so a Mettigel can also be called a Hackepeterigel or sometimes a Hackigel.
No hedgehogs are harmed in the making of this dish. Instead a scoop of ground pork meat is served in the shape of a hedgehog—complete with pretzel sticks or onion slices sticking out of its back as its spines, and olives or other vegetable parts in place of its eyes and nose.
Particularly from the 1950s to '70s, Mett was a popular dish at house parties in Germany. So it wasn't entirely uncommon to see Mettigel served. While consuming raw pork meat does come with certain health risks, Mettigel has made something of a comeback in recent years.
A 'Mett hedgehog' in Dresden in 2019. Photo: picture alliance/dpa/dpa-Zentralbild | Sebastian Kahnert
Use it like this:
Zu meinem Geburtstag hat mir mein Freund einen Mettigel gemacht.
For my birthday, my friend made me a minced meat Hedgehog.
Dieser Mettigel ist so bezaubernd, dass ich ihn nicht essen kann!
That minced meat hedgehog is so adorable, I can't eat it!
Kannst du mir die Brezelstangen reichen? Ich dekoriere gerade den Mettigel.
Can you pass me the pretzel sticks? I'm decorating the minced meat hedgehog.
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Why do I need to know der Mettigel?
It could be that during your travels around Germany, someone invites you to enjoy a nice Mettigel? In this case, it's better to know what you're getting yourself into.
What does it mean?
Das Mett refers to raw minced pork, and it comes from the old Low German word for food, and later meat. Der Igel is the German word for hedgehog. A Mettigel, which is pronounced like this, is quite literally, a ground pork hedgehog.
In Berlin, raw minced pork is called Hackepeter, so a Mettigel can also be called a Hackepeterigel or sometimes a Hackigel.
No hedgehogs are harmed in the making of this dish. Instead a scoop of ground pork meat is served in the shape of a hedgehog—complete with pretzel sticks or onion slices sticking out of its back as its spines, and olives or other vegetable parts in place of its eyes and nose.
Particularly from the 1950s to '70s, Mett was a popular dish at house parties in Germany. So it wasn't entirely uncommon to see Mettigel served. While consuming raw pork meat does come with certain health risks, Mettigel has made something of a comeback in recent years.
Use it like this:
Zu meinem Geburtstag hat mir mein Freund einen Mettigel gemacht.
For my birthday, my friend made me a minced meat Hedgehog.
Dieser Mettigel ist so bezaubernd, dass ich ihn nicht essen kann!
That minced meat hedgehog is so adorable, I can't eat it!
Kannst du mir die Brezelstangen reichen? Ich dekoriere gerade den Mettigel.
Can you pass me the pretzel sticks? I'm decorating the minced meat hedgehog.
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